《Bookbound Bunny》


 Chapter 1 - Origins

    Magic! The pinnacle of expressing oneself through knowledge and determination¡ªor, at least, that is what it meant to Arakil. His passion for magic was said to be unrivaled, and he would stop at nothing to unravel its secrets.


    Originally of humble origins, a peasant farmer''s bookwormish son, Arakil, had started from the absolute bottom. But his passion early on soon spiraled into an obsession, and once he made a name for himself, little could deter his unwavering commitment to his endless hunger for more.


    Arakil''s thirst for knowledge was insatiable. Every aspect of magic, no matter how obscure or esoteric, fascinated him: Inscription, Evocation, Daoism, Eldritch, Daemonic, and more. Arakil was determined to study it all through direct experience or experimentation on others. In his relentless pursuit of knowledge, moral considerations soon became an afterthought.


    That wasn''t to say Arakil was evil, per se; there were no bloody sacrifices of virgin maidens or other diabolical activities. Certainly, nothing cartoonishly evil like baby eating. In fact, Arakil would sooner casually save someone, a doomed kingdom, or even a dying race; especially if there was magical knowledge to be gained. Casually killing a would-be Demon King and earning himself a lost scroll or grimoire was one of his favored and sought-after transactions.


    When mortals failed to stop him, a minor deity tried to intervene and soon found himself broken down into magical reagents. This act elevated Arakil to a minor deity of magic, although he had already long transcended his mortality. Lichdom had been only the first step in his effort to endlessly prolong his life, as he truly sought to find and understand all magic. It was only when he started traversing between planes and dimensions that others truly began to take him seriously. He was like a ravenous, all-consuming void, which was oddly fitting when he cast a grand ritual to contain and store a black hole for his personal use.


    Now, Arakil didn''t fear death as he had numerous contingencies prepared for such an inevitability, and he believed his memory to be picture-perfect. However, one of his acquaintances who still talked to him commented offhand about consolidating all his knowledge into an eternal repository. Arakil had scoffed at the suggestion; he had a pocket dimension full to the brim with books and scrolls and could summon countless familiars or servants to find the item he wanted. But like a tiny seed, the idea nagged at him until it grew into something he simply had to do.


    Arakil, never one to take things halfheartedly, embarked on a mission to create the ultimate grimoire. This was not just a project but a testament to his relentless pursuit of knowledge and progress. The grimoire had to be indestructible, endlessly expansive, convenient to add more information, and have a method for scanning through or organizing its contents. The infinitely expanding cosmos held most of his requirements, which is why his first target was a cosmic dragon. Able to withstand the void of space, exploding stars, and even escape the center of a black hole, it was truly a magnificent being.


    Arakil stepped onto one of his teleportation sigils and warped to his desired location, a moon he had commandeered and carved into a giant runic matrix and thousands of interlinking spell forms, one of his most prized possessions. While cosmic dragons were masters of space and held unparalleled dominion over gravity, they had no sway over dimensions. He scryed for the nearest one within a comfortable range and observed it while he made his required preparations.


    The cosmic dragon was a breathtaking sight to behold. Its scales shimmered with the radiant glow of distant stars, and its form seemed to shift and ripple like the fabric of space itself. The dragon''s wings stretched out like swirling nebulae, and tiny points of light twinkled within its translucent, ethereal body. Its eyes blazed with the incandescent fury of a supernova, and its every movement left trails of stardust in its wake. This majestic being was a living embodiment of the boundless wonders of the universe, a being to be revered and feared in equal measure.


    This is why Arakil gave it no opportunity to attack or perceive his intention. Any spectators expecting an honorable and epic duel against such a legendary creature would be horribly dismayed. He warped in with his moon and immediately set off countless triggered incantations and arcane forms, separating the dragon and its various vital organs into disconnected frozen-in-time pocket planes through unprecedented dimensional magic. A grand beast like this being snuffed out like a mere candle caused a ripple of disquiet among those who knew of it, but before any retaliations could be made, Arakil was already off to his next two destinations.


    His next task would require sacrificing his spell moon, but he could readily make another with time. With precise finger movement, perfected eldritch utterances, and a generous heaping of cosmic dragon blood, he bastardized the dimensional runes of the entire moon into a makeshift array for gravity and containment. Defying reality itself, the new spells triggered and began compressing a dying star. Meanwhile, pocket portals opened, throwing countless priceless reagents into rapidly shrinking celestial flame. He sped up the process with a bit of chronomancy, and the final result was a sphere made out of an impossible material. He gave a somber salute to his once proud spell moon, now a husk of its former self with only a few remnants of faint glowing magical circles and formations.


    He required one final ingredient for his creation, and thankfully, he knew where to get it in his exploration of dimensions and parallel worlds. With a homebound teleport, he returned to one of his many sanctuaries and headed toward one of his previously set-up gates. He swapped out the enchanted crystals in the formation for a specific combination and activated the archway.


    This parallel dimension was similar to most, with only one glaring difference; it was entirely miniaturized. He would store his target inside of the cosmic dragon''s heart as a sort of pseudo-phylactery. What was this target worth sacrificing such an infinitely rare treasure? A small, mostly empty galaxy with a few planets that held resources he wanted, like a magnificent forest planet with some of the most beautiful wood he''d ever come across and would no doubt make the best paper imaginable.


    He was pretty sure some voices were warning him to stop or perhaps demanding him to, but he ignored them. He was on a roll after all, and he had checked beforehand that the galaxy didn''t contain any sentient life, or...was it sapient life that he was meant to check for? Oh well, it was too late now.


    With his resources gathered, he spent the next endless hours preparing a grand ritual and even managed to incorporate the husk of his spell moon as a reagent to give it one final glorious sendoff. To make the grimoire indestructible, the compressed dying star became the base material, the miniaturized galaxy used for infinite expansion and paper, his black hole for devouring his collection of knowledge, and finally, the corpse of the cosmic dragon to hold it all together.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Item creation wasn''t his strongest hobby, and so he sacrificed countless dungeon cores appropriated to handle the messy details, as they came from a world with a so-called System that allowed one to achieve the impossible by overwhelming things with numbers.


    An unknown time passed, and everything was ready before he started the grand¡ªno, the supreme ritual. His work was immaculate, and he quadruple-checked for any oversights or errors. Formations synced up, the dungeon cores were sacrificed, and his blueprint and framework shone with the fury of a supernova. The end result? A massive grimoire lay on the floor with immeasurable resources poured into it. He gingerly picked it up and gave it a deep whiff.


    "I love that new book smell."


    He threw the book into the air and cast his disintegrate spell; the pale green beam struck the object and failed to find purchase. He cast dimensional severing, meteor, wish, unmake, flare, absolute zero, lightning bolt, countless other spells, and even a good old fireball. The book was unharmed. Summoning a mug of coffee, he purposefully threw its contents over the pages and watched as it failed to leave even a minor stain or soggy paper.


    Extremely satisfied with its durability, he now needed to test its ability to store knowledge. He pulled out a copy of one of his favorite books and placed it on the rear of the book, where a golden spiral was interlayed in the cover. With a minor activation of his Mana, the book was swallowed whole, and he eagerly opened up the grimoire and found the work within perfectly replicated. Now, the book as a whole was indestructible, as was the knowledge contained within it; at least, that was Arakil''s goal.


    However, what was a book without having access to scrap paper or replicable documentation? So, by exerting his intent upon the tome, he carefully tore out a page containing a spell circle. As soon as the page left the book, it was replaced by a fresh one containing the exact same contents. Once free from the ultimate grimoire, the loose page was effectively ordinary, yet extremely high quality, paper. He folded it into a paper airplane and tossed it off into the distance before burning it to cinders with a precision fireball spell.


    He spent the next indeterminable amount of time absorbing all of his scrolls and books into the grimoire. He transferred knowledge he lacked in written form using mind crystals. He was pleasantly surprised when they were also compatible with the knowledge consumption aspect of his ultimate grimoire - he had anticipated it would work, but having a theory come to fruition is always a joy.


    His vaults of knowledge and libraries were now truly empty, and he stared happily at his likely ultimate creation. Indestructible, endlessly expanding, limitless paper, and containing his wealth of information. He had even built in an effect where he could shrink the large tome to an easily pocketable size,a side effect from incorporating the galaxy from the miniaturized parallel dimension. Truly, it was perfect... Except for one thing.


    "Finding specific information I want is truly a nightmare. I need something or someone to be able to sift through this." Arakil said, scratching his chin with thought.


    He had a few ideas on how to solve this, and luckily, he had considered this when making his preparations, leaving a suitable slot for a soul to be housed and incorporated with the grimoire.


    He had a few options: create an artificial spirit, perhaps awaken a magic item, or bind a familiar inside the tome. However, the idea that would likely give the best result would be to find and coerce a god or goddess of knowledge, learning, or wisdom in some realm, dimension, or parallel world into merging with his book. Surely, as one who had risen to a minor deity of knowledge would be privileged to be housed inside such a fine tome? Yes. That was the best option.


    "Despite our numerous warnings and hopes, your unwavering pursuit ceases to end." A heavenly voice echoed throughout his chamber.


    "Sara? Is that you?" Arakil asked.


    "That''s Saraiel to you." She demanded.


    "Look. I''m awfully busy trying to finish my book. Can we talk about this some other time?" He replied, barely sparing her a glance.


    "Such disrespect."


    "Such disdain."


    "He continues to mock us."


    "His crimes are endless."


    "He massacred a cosmic dragon!"


    "He plundered a parallel dimension!"


    "He''s doomed countless worlds!"


    Countless voices shouted other accusations at him, and he couldn''t help but scratch his head. This certainly was a lot of deities showing up. Surely he didn''t do anything worthy of this much attention this time?


    "Look. If it makes you feel better, you can kill me, and we can get on with our lives." Arakil said nonchalantly.


    "Ha! You speak as if we don''t know about your backups."


    "Or have killed you in the past already!"


    "We might as well spit into the wind!"


    Arakil clicked his tongue in annoyance. Usually, that worked to get people off his back for a while, and all it cost him was the inconvenience of losing a body, some time, and a cleaning bill.


    "But now, we have a fitting punishment for you."


    "Created by your own hands no less, what delicious irony!"


    "Yes. Finally, karma shall be reaped."


    Arakil frowned. Were they actually serious? He was ninety-nine percent sure he had made contingencies for almost any scenario, including capture and sealing. It was a pity he had sacrificed his spell moon; he would have loved to put some of these lowly deities in their place.


    "Enough!" Saraiel''s voice boomed, silencing the countless other voices. She was the goddess of judgment and had often butted heads with Arakil.


    "Arakil! You shall be sealed within that grimoire for eternity for your crimes!" She decreed.


    Heavenly chains began to wrap around him, fueled by her power and the lent might of the countless other deities present. Part of him wanted to resist, but he found the idea intriguing. What was a few years spent within his own glorious creation? He could even get a headstart on organizing the wealth of information before he found a suitable candidate. Hell, he could even add more of his knowledge directly into the book!


    Arakil was confident that he could escape its confines; after all, it was like they were setting him up for the biggest cliche ever! A grimoire containing magical knowledge beyond understanding was so sought-after that he could easily fool the first sap into working for and freeing him. And if he was truly trapped, then his ultimate contingency would trigger. It was costly beyond measure, and truthfully, he worried about potentially being unable to replicate it again, which was why he had set its activation condition to be as strict as it was.


    As long as there was a sliver of a chance at escape, it would not activate.


    Arakil''s body began to lift off the ground as the chains pulled taut and brought him closer to the grimoire. He felt the links of metal piercing through his metaphysical body and reaching into the depths of his soul, tearing it asunder before interlinking with the book and its open, waiting grasp. He felt his soul leave his body, reality ceasing to exist for the briefest of moments before it came flooding back. He looked around the room, his vision at the moment limited to the singular eye that was on the front cover of the tome. The other deities snickered and cheered, thinking they had won.


    One of them opened up a portal leading to the void of space, and he found his book-bound form being tossed through the portal. The last words he heard before the portal snapped shut were the deities already discussing how they would loot and distribute his various treasure troves. Arakil couldn''t help but chuckle; he''d find all of them and claim it back with interest.


    It was good that he had limitless paper because he began making a lengthy list of those who had crossed him.

 Chapter 2 - Bookbound

    As Arakil floated in the void of space, he had plenty of time to explore and contemplate his new form. That is after he finished reorganizing everything as he had originally set out to do.


    He discovered that they hadn''t done much besides sealing him within the grimoire and a small restriction on his available Mana tacked on almost as an afterthought. Perhaps they had thought Arakil had already set up severe restrictions for the book''s future occupant, but other than a simple suggestion of "Do not kill your owner," there wasn''t much. The singular exception was a strict compulsion to never destroy any of the knowledge or information contained within the book. Like a true hoarder, Arakil felt that willingly destroying any knowledge was a sin, no matter how insignificant.


    After spending significant time compulsively organizing everything and doing a second revision, Arakil was finally ready to start on his situation. Since he could freely add his knowledge to the pages within, he planned to start setting up magic circles to handle various functions. The first was a simple telepathy spell, as he certainly lacked a means of communicating, and giving his beloved book a mouth felt far too eldritch for the current situation. Not to mention, getting rid of it later would not be worth the hassle.


    It would have been a simple task, but he was again lost in his obsessive need to perfect it. That''s not to say he inscribed it incorrectly or with mistakes, no, but it could be improved! So what would have been a simple telepathy spell soon had a translation spell attached, which was then enhanced to also translate feelings and intent for those rare species that didn''t have a language or were more animalistic.


    He''d already gone above and beyond, yet he still sought to further it and added a Mana-gathering array, which again he tweaked beyond reason until it was in perfect equilibrium; not a single drop of Mana would be wasted in collection or usage.


    Arakil always struggled to keep track of time, and now, without a body that occasionally partook in mortal delights, the fault was turned up to eleven. Which was why he hadn''t even realized that someone had found him floating in space.


    ***


    Amongst the flaming ruins of a once-advanced civilization lay a flawless book. Toxic fallout laid waste to the biological life on the tiny dwarf planet, and the undead walked the streets. Gazing down upon the book with disdain was a goddess dressed in golden battle armor, her full plate greave and boot placed firmly atop the book.


    "Hear me out... I know it looks bad, but this isn''t entirely my fault." Arakil said sheepishly.


    "Barely two centuries have passed, and you''ve already destroyed a civilization!" Saraiel''s voice dripped with fury, her anger palpable in the air.


    "Hey! I didn''t even cast any of the spells responsible for this. That was all on the space pirates!" Arakil tried to defend himself. "And I had absolutely nothing to do with the toxic fallout! Who in their right mind tries to use radiation against zombies!?"


    "Yet who was it that gave them that information!?" Saraiel demanded.


    "I mean... I am a book." Arakil countered.


    "You willingly translated dangerous and evil magic for them..." Saraiel said, her patience rapidly running dry.


    "Well, I figured a book of all magical knowledge should be universally readable. I simply tweaked my ultimate translation spell to also work for text."


    "You corrected their mistakes..." Saraiel spat out, on the verge of cracking.


    "Look... I can''t handle sloppy workmanship; it insults everyone who uses Mana."


    "Enough! Clearly, we need to be more stringent with your sentence." She declared, pressing the heel of her boot down harder. "A constraint on who can open you up will do perfectly, yes... Something like only those pure of heart will hopefully lead you down the right path."


    "But-"


    "Silence! It has been decided." She decreed.


    Once again, the divine judgment settled upon Arakil. He felt the heavenly chains binding him tightly, and to make matters worse, they were interfering with his beautiful telepathy spell circle. Thankfully, it didn''t break or dismantle the inscribed spell, but now he could only converse if his book was open!


    He immediately began trying to make the corrections, but tragedy struck when it seemed that everything he had accomplished or planned to do was now restricted to his book being open. The sole anomaly was his sight, provided by the eye on the front cover. Since it was his only source of external stimuli, he started working on fixing it. There was no way he would settle for mere mundane sight! No, he would craft the most complex Magesight imaginable.


    ***


    Demons were flooding into the celestial plane, the forces of good and evil waging bloody war right on the doorsteps of divinity. Blood-red portals ripped through the fabric of reality to allow the invading armies entry, and it was all orchestrated by a mighty Demon Lord who commanded his armies to slaughter the angels.


    The giant Demon Lord stood imposingly in his flaming black armor, towering over all with his immense, muscular frame. His armor crackled with dark, fiery energy, emitting an eerie glow that consumed the very light around it. Jagged spikes adorned his shoulder pauldrons, and the intimidating horns of a demonic helm crowned his head.


    From beneath the shadows of his helmet, piercing eyes of molten crimson blazed with infernal fury, exuding a sense of malevolence so palpable that it sent shivers down the spines of all who dared to meet his gaze. With every step, the ground trembled beneath his immense weight, and the air seemed to ripple with the intense heat emanating from his dark, imposing form. In his right arm, he grasped a massive Zweihander with pale green flames radiating off the blade and countless enchanted runes across its blade and hilt. He held an open grimoire in his left hand, its endless pages fluttering with immense arcane energy.


    While the opposing troops clashed, the Demon Lord began targeting the angelic generals and lesser deities trying to command the troops. Things were looking grim for the forces of light when a golden archway of divinity emerged. Flying out at top speed was a familiar woman in golden armor, angelic wings, and a halo burning with righteous fury. She immediately clashed with the Demon Lord, wielding a massive golden hammer brimming with divinity and the flames of judgment. Arakil always teased her by saying that it looked like a giant gavel. It took her only a mere moment to recognize the book held by the Demon Lord, and a look of shock appeared on her face.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Arakil! How have you escaped your bindings!?" Saraiel demanded.


    "What do you mean? Your handiwork is still in place; I''ve done no such thing." Arakil said with a sigh, at once again being blamed.


    "You''re consorting with a Demon Lord! How is he pure of heart?!"


    "His heart is pure!" Arakil countered, expecting the obvious rebuttal. "Sure, it''s pure evil. But, in fairness, you didn''t exactly specify..."


    "It. Was. Implied!" Saraiel shouted through grunts and gritted teeth as she continued to fight against the demon lord.


    "No, no. Words are important in these kinds of things. I even tried to warn you about being so loosey-goosey with the phrasing."


    "D-don''t lecture me!" She shouted, outraged. "Regardless, you should have never consorted with a Demon Lord! That was one of your few remaining principles; you had slain countless of them in the past!"


    The Demon Lord looked taken aback by such a declaration and briefly turned his gaze towards the book in his grasp, almost as if saying, "Really?"


    "Hey man, no offense, but I was offered some really good spells to remove some of your predecessors. Besides, we have a deal, and you''ve added plenty of new spells to my book. I keep my promises."


    Oddly, the Demon Lord looked relieved at that declaration, while Saraiel looked outraged. Six more angelic wings burst from her back, and her halo sprouted into a complex divine magic circle nearly encompassing the sky.


    Damn it, looks like her divine privilege got authorized early. What rotten timing. Arakil cursed to himself.


    The Demon Lord drew magic from the tome and his minions, his size swelling to unprecedented heights, and he brought his Zweihander down like a collapsing skyscraper directed towards the goddess. The pale green flames on the blade erupted as if bringing the end-times, an apocalypse in its own right, but Saraiel showed no concern as she thrust her arm outwards with a singular swiping motion. A golden, transcendent light erupted from her and banished the Demon Lord in its entirety; an explosion of radiant light began erupting from every Demon soldier, and like a cleansing wave, the evil corruption was removed from the divine gates.


    The grimoire fell to the ground, bouncing a few times and shrinking to its original size before landing open with its pages facing the surface. Again, Saraiel strode over and harshly pressed her boot against the book''s spine.


    "Well, shit," Arakil said grumpily.


    "Pure of heart, with goodness and righteousness!" She decreed, interrupting him before he could talk. She then kicked the book, which flipped through the air a few times before being sealed shut with chains again and falling through another portal.


    Arakil sighed. Saraiel must have been extremely upset with him, unwilling to exchange a few words before banishing him again. At least he got a lot of new spells and knowledge to now organize from the now-deceased Demon Lord.


    ***


    Children and nuns cowered under the wooden pews, huddled together, praying for safety while quietly sobbing. The doors to the main cathedral were barred and sealed for their safety, yet the consistent sound of battle could be heard outside, a constant reminder of their dire situation.


    Meanwhile, the Saintess of Purity was outside the cathedral, striding along the walkways and defending it from the invaders'' twisted, shadowy forms. Despite being a Saintess, a chosen goddess and, in theory, having the highest position available, her attire was relatively unadorned, closely resembling a nun''s dress with perhaps a few extra embroideries. She weaved her hands fluidly and cast off a spell that lanced through one of the shadowy invaders. Her graceful form was awe-inspiring as she wasted no movement between each new spell, and her long golden hair flowed like a gentle stream.


    To any onlookers, this was a baffling sight to behold. One of the goddess''s main tenets was peace, and their order was strictly pacifist and focused only on the art of healing. Yet here was the icon of their order casually slaying monsters and defending the last bastion of their order. To those of not mortal origin, they would have noticed that the Saintess had already moved on from this world. Lodged into her left breast and pierced through her heart was an unblemished grimoire.


    Onwards, she marched, magical energy rippling from her form as she weaved from spell to spell, vanquishing the endless swarms of invading darkness. Finally, she found the source of their invasion, a dark rift hidden from prying eyes in a shadowy recess. With more fluid gestures, she began her work of sealing it.


    She began attempting to make secondary gestures interlace with the primary ones to cast a divination scry to locate the origin, but something seemed amiss as she frowned deeply. She gave up on the secondary gestures and instead alternated with a different spell form and proceeded with verbal casting instead. When the reality crack was mended and the source found, she shook her head and looked at her hands with disgruntlement.


    "I would like to say these hands are too meaty for my use, but unfortunately, I think I''ve just grown rusty after nearly an eon of inactivity." She said disheartedly. "Or perhaps it''s been longer... I''ve undoubtedly lost track of time during my periods of sealed slumber."


    A familiar golden archway appeared, and Saraiel stepped forth. Unlike previously, she wasn''t emblazoned with the flames of judgment and instead looked somewhat confused.


    "Why was my presence called for..." Saraiel said with a tinge of exhaustion.


    "Greetings, Saraiel." The Saintess said, doing a small curtsy.


    Saraiel blinked a few times as she stared at the peculiar sight; she was about to return the polite greeting when her eyes widened in shock. "Arakil!?"


    "Aww. I had hoped it would have taken you longer to realize it was me." Arakil replied, putting on an almost bratty pout with the Saintess'' commandeered body.


    "No... You corrupted a Saintess? Of Purity no less!?" Saraiel cried out in outrage.


    "I''m honestly getting tired of being blamed for everything..." Arakil replied through the Saintess, shaking her head and waving her hand dismissively. "No. She sought my aid when her people were being slaughtered, but her tenets were too strict, and she couldn''t make use of any of my teachings herself. In the end, she begged me for some way to save them and sacrificed her body to give me a vessel to use."


    Saraiel actually seemed taken aback by that, and since judgment was her domain, she could sense the truth of his words.


    "I apologize for the false accusation." She said, actually giving a tiny bow of respect. "Strange that shadow fiends would attack followers of Purity, though..."


    "It wasn''t them. Well, not directly, anyway. They were lured here." Arakil replied with a frown.


    "Lured? By who?" Saraiel asked curiously.


    "The Cult of Pestilence."


    "That''s a bold accusation to make. I presume you have some evidence?"


    The Saintess'' head nodded.


    "Very well. If you''ll come with me, perhaps we can reach some form of compromise regarding your situation. Maybe we can also try to get an investigation authorized," Saraiel offered diplomatically.


    "No." Arakil immediately rejected, a grim yet determined expression on the Saintess'' face.


    "No?" Saraiel said, a tiny flame of anger igniting at being so stubbornly refused.


    "You heard me. No. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. As long as the Cult of Pestilence still breathes, it remains unfulfilled, and I''m a man of my word." Arakil replied, determined.


    "You cannot just interfere in mortal lives like that! There are rules to be followed!" Saraiel angrily protested.


    "For you, maybe. But last I checked, I was stripped of my minor deity title." Arakil replied with a smirk.


    Saraiel''s golden armor immediately materialized on her. "You cannot. I won''t allow it."


    A bark of laughter erupted from the Saintess'' mouth. "I''d like to see you try without your divine privilege!"


    Rage burned in her eyes at the insult, and her hammer materialized in golden flames. She moved to charge when a complex magical circle emanated beneath the Saintess'' feet.


    Saraiel was shocked. Had she been played? When did Arakil have the time to establish such a complex formation and hide it from her sight? She found her body suddenly frozen in place as if time had simply ceased on everything except her head. Even with Arakil''s knowledge, this seemed far too much for the mortal body he occupied to produce.


    "Have you truly gone mad? You had a genuine chance at redemption, and now you throw it all away!" Saraiel screamed.


    "She had such immense talent and a genuine desire for knowledge. And I was forced to snuff her out before the fiends claimed her." Arakil said, staring at the Saintess'' hands. "I will keep my promise and ensure her people get to see another day. They need saving now, unhindered by the uncaring timeline of your godly politics."


    Saraiel tried to protest, but a portal tore apart reality, and the Saintess walked through it. A look of grim determination uncharacteristically plastered on such an innocent face.


    Saraiel cursed until she finally was free from the magical prison. Unfortunately, Arakil was right; she could not match him at present, as he had seemingly regained tremendous amounts of his former power. To stop him, she would need to pursue access to her divine privilege, and unless he did something extremely drastic, that was a lengthy process.

 Chapter 3 - Trapped

    Screams of "Kill her!" ran throughout the underground temple as robed figures burst into flames. The entire temple was in chaos as the Saintess of Purity herself had come out in retaliation. The heads of the cult could not understand how their plot had been discovered, as they were sure they had executed the plan flawlessly.


    Ignoring how their plot was uncovered, most couldn''t understand how the plan had failed and how the Saintess was permitted to retaliate. The doctrine of Purity was impossibly strict: to never directly cause harm and to heal anyone and everyone. This was a truly foolish notion, as some of their followers would literally try to heal an enemy that had previously tried to kill them.


    Yet here was Purity''s chosen Saintess, killing countless of their members without a shred of mercy. How was she not stripped of her goddess''s support for straying so far? None of it made sense. Pleadings and offerings were made to Pestilence for aid, but their master remained eerily silent. Many had tried to escape the compound, but as if a line of death was drawn in the ground, they would simply drop dead upon crossing a certain point.


    "It''s just one girl! Even if she is a Saintess!" Someone tried to rally support, and a small group was formed to stop her.


    Their spells of plague and scourge were cast, soaring through the air before sputtering out like a candle in the wind. Deadly potion concoctions of poison and disease were tossed like bombs but shattered against a briefly flaring magical barrier before their noxious fumes were scattered back toward their owner. The cultists screamed in agony and rage as their own strength was turned against them, although somewhere in the shadows, someone giggled as if this was what they were waiting for.


    The dead and plagued bodies began to twist and morph, merging together into a cacophony of puss and rot. Some of the more devout cultists recognized this and, as if following a script, pulled out a vial from their belt and hastily drank it, falling to the ground and soon joining the dead as a writhing mass of flesh.


    The Saintess shook her head in disapproval. "What is up with cults and ritualistic sacrifice? Because of them, everyone immediately assumes the worst whenever someone mentions using a ritual."


    Perhaps mistaking her words as fear, the cultists began mocking and taunting.


    "Let''s see how the Saintess stands up to a Corrupted Champion!"


    "Pestilence shall spread!" They chanted.


    Mentally, Arakil sighed, letting the so-called ritual go on. It would save him the effort of hunting down some of their elites, who willingly gathered themselves into this debacle.


    The ritual reached its crescendo, ending in an overly dramatic explosion of magic. Arakil scoffed at such a wasteful production; it wasn''t caused by a display of power, but rather, it was closer to a mistake, as the ritual was improperly constructed and had built up plenty of excess and spoiled Mana.


    At the center of the explosion was a hulking giant of rotting flesh and disease. Looking more like an obese and bloated zombie than a so-called Champion. In its grasp was a large scythelike axe made from what looked like bones covered in decayed flesh.


    "For Lord Pestilence!" The monstrosity bellowed, sending spittle flying.


    "Seriously? You''re bringing an axe to a magic fight?" Arakil chuckled and casually tossed a fireball spell towards it.


    The fireball struck against one of its legs and detonated, blasting it into bits that incinerated midair. However, the hulking monstrosity didn''t fall or collapse; instead, a sinewy new chunk of flesh appeared almost instantly to replace the leg. It gurgled a laugh that sounded like a frog choking, certainly pleased at its rapid regeneration.


    "I can''t wait to cleanse the world of your filth..." Arakil said tauntingly, as he kept burning away limbs.


    He had to be careful not to kill it too quickly, as he was still preparing and waiting for his guest to arrive. After blowing up both its legs, Arakil ran towards where some of the other cultists were hiding and dealt with them. The cultists were more than happy to scream and beg for their lord to aid them; more decided to try imbibing their potion and joining as offerings towards the growing, fetid monstrosity.


    Eventually, something changed. The monstrosity''s movements became more precise, and the explosions of flame were no longer destroying its legs entirely. There was almost a dreadful hum in the air, and its form began mutating and shifting.


    ''Showtime...'' Arakil thought to himself, lobbing a rather weakened fireball that was more firework than deadly spell.


    "Is this the best Purity can offer? What a joke... Maybe I should thank you for culling the weak members of my cult and granting me a champion to exert my will." The monstrosity said.


    This was a partial possession and technically still fell within the rules of divinity. Pestilence was speaking through his champion and, at the same time, giving it some pretty hefty buffs. Arakil was waiting for this moment and, with an impressive finger snap, activated the spell formation. The ring of dead cultists that had tried to escape began to glow as their bodies liquified and began settling down into a complex series of sigils and glyphs in a language long dead to the world.


    "What? I feel... Stronger?" Pestilence asked curiously through the mouth of his champion. Then, an abrupt look of shock appeared on the form. "Wait, I shouldn''t be able to feel anything? What is going on!?"


    Arakil began clapping. "Welcome to the mortal plane, Pestilence. I hope you''ll enjoy your stay for the brief moments you have left."


    "What? Who are you? A mere Saintess shouldn''t be able to do such things!" Pestilence demanded.


    "Arakil. Lesser deity of magic... Well, former."


    "Never heard of you. But you''re truly a fool to bring me here and issue a challenge, especially in my temple! A former lesser deity, what a joke!" Pestilence mocked. "I guess I''ll take this opportunity to wipe out the rest of Purity''s flock, so thanks for that!"


    "While I''d love to trade verbal barbs with you or educate you on matters of the arcane, unfortunately, I''m on a bit of a time limit before Saraiel comes to ruin my fun."


    "You dare?! I''ll turn you into a festering petri dish of plagues!" Pestilence shouted in outrage.


    Arakil wasted no time casting his next spell, taking a shortcut by combining gestures on one hand with some rapid airborne sigils drawn with his other. Finally, he uttered a single word as the final catalyst for the spell.


    "Stop."


    And for a moment, time ceased.


    Arakil, unfortunately, wasn''t joking or setting up some witty time pun when he said he was short on time. Ever since he awoke from his slumber this time, he noticed something seemed a little wrong with the universe. Mana was abundant in vast and near-endless quantities in his time, and you were only limited by your magical strength to seize and wield it. But now... What Mana was once thick as paint had degraded to a starchy soup.


    Originally, Arakil was worried he wouldn''t be able to cast any of his truly powerful spells, but where the ambient Mana was lacking, his now host more than made up for it. Honestly, her body, in terms of its Mana capacity, likely outdid his own, as shameful as that was to admit. Had something fundamentally changed? An individual''s Mana often wildly differed, especially between different species and races, but other than getting a headstart, it usually never mattered in the long run. It sounded far too outrageous of a concept; Mana was eternal, so why was it now so diminished?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Without any prying eyes, he quickly made a small portal to one of his secret vaults and was grateful to find it unmolested, despite the great passage of time. He pulled out two objects, a spear so heavily enchanted in runes that there was almost no available space that wasn''t inscribed or glowing with magical power, and an elixir containing a glowing, golden-red liquid. He closed the portal quickly and, before his spell ended, threw the spear with all his might... Which wasn''t much, but thankfully, the magic took over and guided it toward its target.


    Time resumed.


    Pestilence trapped within his champion barreled forward, and the spear struck true. He blinked confusedly as if it had materialized out of nowhere. It started to burn, and he reached out to pull it out, but it refused to budge. He roared in rage as suddenly the markings seemed to be transferring from the spear onto his body. He collapsed forward, struggling to breathe.


    "Wha-" He tried to utter before the runes finished transferring and flashed with a pale purple light. He was gone.


    ***


    "So why do we have to just watch this happen? Surely this is cause for intervention?"


    "Well... Pestilence is the one who started this whole debacle, trying to go through a loophole to weaken Purity. Saraiel is trying to get authorization, but Arakil is technically in the right until he directly attacks Pestilence."


    "What I don''t understand is why we can''t simply kill him. Even if he has endless clones or phylacteries to keep renewing himself."


    "While it certainly is plausible, it was deemed not worth the time or effort."


    "And the number of incidents has greatly diminished since his imprisonment. What, only three in the last epoch?"


    "Indeed, it sounds acceptable to me. If we increase the restrictions slightly, we might bring that number down even further."


    "But. Why not just kill him?"


    "Well, he was a former deity of magic."


    "Lesser. Hardly worth keeping around."


    "Of Magic. Do you even realize what that means as a universal constant? Calling him a lesser with such a powerful domain is insultingly petty, and now, with Pestilence no doubt dead, it would only be increased further."


    "Even sealing him away has caused some degradation."


    "What? Can''t someone else usurp the domain?"


    "Well..."


    "Yeah..."


    "Nobody is really entirely sure how he even gained dominion over it. Imagine trying to claim dominion over Gravity?"


    "Can''t be done."


    "Impossible."


    "Alright, fine. So we can''t kill him. So we reinforce the seal?"


    "Indeed. I believe we are consulting the experts."


    "Wonderful."


    "Speaking of which, we must set some restrictions when Pestilence inevitably falls. We might have a decade of no plagues or diseases until a replacement is manifested."


    "Indeed... Some population control will need to be encouraged. Perhaps lowering birth rates?"


    "Fertility won''t like that. What about causing a war or something? I''m sure Strife would approve."


    "At the cost of upsetting-"


    Abruptly, everyone went silent. Pestilence was no more.


    "I hope he only had one of those..."


    ***


    Arakil was poking the rapidly dissolving spear. Unfortunately, nothing would be reclaimable, and it was a cost he was unlikely to recoup anytime soon. But at least it felt good. Now he could say he''d killed two asshole gods!


    Arakil turned around, sensing a spatial distortion, and spotted a young girl, looking no older than six and wearing an undecorated pure white nun dress.


    "Purity, I presume?"


    The girl smiled. "How''d you guess?"


    "Well, I don''t think a cult of festering disease would be keeping a small lost child," Arakil said with a chuckle. "I''m assuming children are the ultimate representation of pureness. Hence, you have that appearance?"


    "Unfortunately." She giggled. "I wanted to thank you for saving my followers before..."


    "Before Saraiel judges me... She should get a hobby."


    Purity giggled at the comment before quickly putting her hand in front of her mouth and blushing. Saraiel was a bit of a hardass, but she deserved respect for her authority.


    "Whatever happened to Rot? He seemed nice as far as plague and illness gods go." Arakil asked curiously.


    "Pardon the unintended pun, but he rotted away..." Purity answered.


    "Well, that was his dream... A shame, though; he was a nice guy." Arakil said with a shrug. "As for your followers, I don''t mind. Your Saintess here is very friendly, kept me company, and even put some wonderful new spells into my collection."


    "Yes... She was." Purity said, looking a little somber.


    "It''s a pity her hands were so tied. You should honestly add a self-defense clause to your tenets or something." Arakil pointed out. "Also, what do you mean, was? She''s right here."


    "Please don''t tease me, Arakil." Purity said with a frown.


    Arakil opened his mouth to respond when he sensed another spatial distortion. A golden rift apparated, and Saraiel had arrived. Her halo of judgment was already burning bright, and she was armed to the teeth.


    "Well. Shit. Guess we''ve run out of time..." Arakil sighed and looked at the hands of the body he was occupying, giving the fingers a wiggle. "I''m going to miss having hands again..."


    "Arakil! You shall be judged!" Saraiel decreed.


    "She needs a better catchphrase," Arakil said as he popped the stopper on the golden elixir and drank it in a single fluid motion. "Hope you''re good at catching despite your size, Purity."


    Purity was blinking in confusion as Arakil tore his grimoire out of the body of the Saintess and tossed the book directly at Saraiel. Purity expected blood and gore, but instead, there was nothing, and before her eyes, she saw the gaping wound vanishing. The Saintess'' body began to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut, and the small body of Purity rushed over to grab it.


    "A phoenix blood elixir? But why?" Purity questioned.


    Arakil''s book tumbled across the ground before coming to an unceremonious end at the boot of Saraiel.


    "Tell her thanks for the knowledge!" Arakil shouted moments before Saraiel slammed the book shut.


    Saraiel began grumbling to herself before pointing her weapon at Purity.


    "Purity! You better leave the mortal plane before you become a violation. I''d hate to be forced to judge someone on the path of righteousness." Saraiel declared as she walked back through her golden rift.


    Purity blinked in confusion, and then the body of the Saintess began to stir.


    ***


    Arakil was a little confused as to why he wasn''t floating through space as he normally did. Instead, Saraiel was transporting him somewhere. He could only loosely observe what was happening while his book was closed. He was placed on a table surrounded by other individuals he didn''t recognize. Likely other deities of justice or punishment. Or perhaps balance? Arakil hated those deities the most, always straddling the line between good and evil, order and chaos.


    "You went too far this time," Saraiel spoke.


    Arakil wanted to roll his eyes. Nobody would miss Pestilence. He only hoped the next manifested deity would be someone with a less hostile attitude. Others started entering the room of differing races.


    Devils and fairies? Arakil thought confusedly.


    They were all sharply dressed, and suddenly, Arakil felt alarm bells ringing in his head.


    Oh no... No, no, no... Arakil thought with horror.


    "Good, the lawyers have arrived," Saraiel smirked.


    If there was one thing Arakil hated, it was lawyers. He suddenly regretted maybe not taking things seriously enough if they were even bringing other races into this. Dealing with devil lawyers was bad enough, but fairies?


    "Right. We''ve drafted a proposal on how best to reinforce this binding seal as strictly as possible." One of the devils said with a sadistic grin, and everyone in the room began nodding.


    Devils were known for making inescapable contracts and were the best in the business if you wanted a deal or condition to last. Arakil chuckled a little, as the propositions they were reading aloud were so strict that, he thought, they would easily trigger his contingency.


    "And these are the conditions we will add without technically counting it as inescapable." One of the fairies added.


    If books could sweat Arakil would be drenched in panic and worry. He also suddenly deeply regretted not putting a self-destruct button in his book. Damnable fairies were the masters of loopholes, and now that they had joined forces with the devils, this situation was starting to look very bad rapidly.


    Note to self: I will apologize deeply to Saraiel when I get out of this. I''d hate to see how she escalates after this. Arakil thought grimly.


    "Hmm... I worry that this might still be too strict." One of the other unnamed deities pointed out, and Arakil wished he had hands to strangle the man.


    "Yes. That''s why we will be using Fate magic," one of the fairy lawyers said with a giggle.


    Arakil was so outraged that his book actually violently trembled on the table. He would have spat blood at the outrage like one of those cultivator sect masters. The onlookers noticed it, and all eyes stared at the book.


    "Ignore him. Continue." Saraiel ordered.


    "Well, if we use some Fate magic to constantly prod him at the slimmest chance of hope, the lowest of lowest probabilities, it should be enough to allow these restrictions." The fairy continued, and the rest of the lawyer cabal nodded in agreement.


    Of all the convoluted bullshit! Arakil screeched to himself.


    Arakil was filled with rage; he loathed that form of magic. Arakil was never a lucky man and always had to make his own, so magic that relied on Fate, Luck, or even randomness was particularly effective against him. He would escape, as in the infinity of time; even the lowest of probabilities eventually becomes an eventual guarantee, but how much time would he lose? An epoch? Eons? Would he even have a chance to stand up for himself anymore? It certainly wasn''t looking good.

 Chapter 4 - Bunny

    Lily sighed somberly as she watched the other children play. She was carefully seated in the shade of a tree to protect her extremely fair skin. Nowadays, they didn''t even try to persuade her to join them anymore; they had long given up after numerous attempts that either had her collapse when she tried to keep up, or they had to slow their pace far too much for their liking. Her long bunny ears drooped in disappointment.


    As if her frail constitution and antagonism from the sun weren''t bad enough, she was severely underdeveloped for a girl her age. Her limbs were too short, and she had stubby fingers; she felt more like a Gnome out of some fairytale than a Lagia. She enviously watched the other Lagia run circles around the other children. Supposedly, her mom was a great adventurer, as was traditional for her kind, and in her darkest moments, Lily couldn''t help but wonder if she regretted having her.


    Like the other kids here, Lily was an orphan, but they were given a much more optimistic position against the norm of poor and underfunded facilities. This orphanage catered to the children abandoned by high-profile individuals and, most notably, to adventurers who either refused to settle down or, unfortunately, died in the line of duty. Lily''s mom was wounded while pregnant with her, and a premature birth was forced. She traded her life to save Lily''s, and her father, outraged and grief-struck, left; never to be seen again.


    If Lily had even half her mother''s potential, she would have received a wonderful education as a future adventurer, hunter, or scout for the army. Lagia were renowned for their speed and agility. If she were born of a different race, she''d have other opportunities, like Rose, who would be sent to magic school in two years.


    Rose was her "older sister" here at the orphanage. She was a mighty Dragia with beautiful red scales decorating her limbs, and a fiery personality to match. Dragia, unlike Lagia, were mighty in physical strength and magic, as their dragon heritage gave them much in life. Lily couldn''t help but be jealous in her weaker moments, as her heritage only gave her some "cute" rabbit ears. If Lagia at least had magical blood, she would have had an option to fall back on, but fate was not so kind.


    Non-humans had become a majority of the population, and it seemed like a new half-race was discovered almost every decade or two. The broad races were eventually called Demihumans, later shortened to Demis, for everyone''s convenience. Despite Lagia and Dragia both falling under the Demi umbrella, the difference between them couldn''t be further apart!


    Lily was suddenly startled as she heard one of the orphanage staff approaching from behind. Her head swung around in a bit of a panic to be met by Margit''s kind and motherly face. Lily instantly relaxed.


    "Sorry for giving you a fright, Lily." Margit apologized.


    "It''s okay, Margit," Lily replied.


    "Have you thought about what type of education you want?" Margit asked before looking a little somber. "I hate to keep asking, but rather one you at least partially like than something forced upon you."


    Lily had been avoiding answering them for as long as possible. She kept hoping something would happen, that she''d get an unexpected growth spurt and be able to follow in her mother''s footsteps.


    "I don''t know... Do you have any suggestions for me?" Lily asked.


    "Well... What about getting into crafting, baking, or something creative? Those can be fun." Margit asked.


    Lily''s ears drooped as she thrust her hands forward and wiggled her stubby fingers in front of Margit. "With these hands?"


    "You used to draw all the time when you were younger... Your charcoal sketches," Margit remarked.


    Lily frowned. "Not since they took away my mom''s book."


    She had inherited an old book from her mother and scribbled inside it until it was taken away from her. It was supposedly something she had found in her last adventure.


    Margit sighed, remembering the situation. There had been some kerfuffle around the book, which had been taken away to prevent the child from "ruining precious paper"¡ªor so they had said at the time. Honestly, it should never have happened, as the only time they ever took away a parent''s belongings was if it was deemed too dangerous and kept until they were older. You could hardly give a child a deadly weapon, after all.


    "Well, at a minimum, I''ll sign you up for reading, writing, and mathematics," Margit said, trying to give her best reassuring smile. ¡°That would open considerable doors for you in the future."


    "I suppose..." Lily said reluctantly.


    ***


    True to her word, over the next few days, Lily found herself in classes for the subjects Margit had suggested. She hated math, found the reading okay, and surprisingly really enjoyed writing. The classes were given small blackboards and white chalk to write with. Lily jumped a little ahead of her peers with letters and numbers, and used the extra time to doodle in the corners of the board.


    After a handful of months of lessons, it dawned on Lily that she was potentially at the top of her class for her age group¡ªexcept for math. When she spent time with Rose, she also lamented how horrible math class was, and both agreed that it seemed useless¡ªunless they became merchants.


    One day, Margit approached Lily in her room and handed her a familiar-looking book. "Mom''s book!" she exclaimed in surprise.


    "Since your writing is going so well, I encouraged others to look into finding it," Margit said softly.


    Lily immediately grabbed the book with both hands. Its large size was quite cumbersome to hold and carry around, but it was surprisingly light despite its proportions.


    She clumsily tried to open it, and it did so easily. Lily immediately spotted some of her familiar charcoal scribbles. Strangely, nobody else had written in the book, and no matter how many pages she flipped through, the rest were all blank.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Why did they even take my book...?" Lily asked expectantly.


    "They thought it might have been a grimoire, due to the cover," Margit answered.


    "Grimoire?" Lily asked, unfamiliar with the word.


    "A magic book," Margit answered. "They claimed it couldn''t be opened. Then, they took it to an appraiser who said there wasn''t even a hint of magic in the book."


    Lily frowned. It sounded crazy. Why did they put so much time and effort into her book? It was completely blank, and she had no problems opening it herself. As if not believing Margit, she began to open and close the book repeatedly. Margit chuckled and held out her hands for Lily to hand her the book, which she did. Margit then tried and failed to open it.


    "See. It won''t open for me." Margit said, even putting some strain and emphasis on proving she wasn''t just pretending.


    "So it is a magic book?" Lily asked.


    Margit shook her head as she handed it back. "I''m not sure. The pages are blank, but only you can open the book. Apparently, they even tried to burn it, but nothing happened."


    Lily gasped and clutched the book tightly. She couldn''t believe they tried to burn her mom''s book.


    Seeing her worry, Margit gave her a soft pat on the head, being careful not to be too rough with her bunny ears. "Don''t worry, little one. It''s back with you. I''ve confirmed it''s empty, and I''ll tell them such, but I assume they might send someone to confirm. Just show them it''s empty."


    "Thank you..." Lily murmured, still clutching the book.


    Margit smiled and pulled out five freshly sharpened pencils from her belt pouch. "For you to practice writing and drawing with, now that you''ve got plenty of paper. If you keep improving at this rate, you''ll get to write with ink in no time."


    Lily''s eyes widened; she couldn''t believe that. From what she knew, ink was super expensive. But if she continued working hard, they would give her some.


    Margit chuckled and asked to see some of her old drawings. Lily happily showed her, and after seeing them, Margit paused and asked if she could have one. Lily immediately agreed and tried to tear out a page, but it wouldn''t budge. Margit also tried to remove the page, but the paper seemed indestructible to the two of them.


    "Sorry, Margit," Lily said.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll just have to bring my own paper next time." Margit reassured her. "Now, why don''t you show me all the letters and numbers you can remember."


    Lily beamed as she lifted the book onto her bed and opened it to the next blank page. There, she began to write carefully with her new pencil as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.


    ***


    "So, is this the famous magic book?" Rose asked curiously, running her scaled finger down the book''s spine.


    "It''s not magic..." Lily refuted.


    Rose tried to open the book and failed. She shrugged and handed it to Lily. "Seems magic to me? Nobody but you can open it."


    Lily frowned and opened it. "If it was magic, it would be more than blank pages."


    Rose smiled before ruffling Lily''s hair. "Just because it''s not some flashy spell doesn''t mean it''s not magic. You''ve got your own secret diary!"


    "I''d rather be able to make fire like you..." Lily grumbled.


    "Well... You could just ask me." Rose winked, snapping her fingers and making a tiny flame flicker above her index finger.


    Lily stared enviously at the tiny flame before it poofed out.


    "Maybe you can be my secretary or assistant?" Rose said, pointing towards Lily''s gradually neatening handwriting on the pages. "You should see how horrible my chicken scratch is."


    "You''re exaggerating..." Lily tried to brush aside the praise.


    "No, really. I was told if I don''t improve, then they won''t let me into magic school."


    "They can do that?" Lily asked, shocked.


    "Apparently..." Rose said with a shrug. "Drawing and writing neatly is important for magic stuff? Or so I''m told..."


    "But..."


    "I guess I could just give it up and punch stuff, instead," Rose said, flexing one arm.


    "Don''t do that. Imagine all the cool things you could do with magic."


    "Yeah... You''re right... But math..." Rose grumbled.


    "Yeah... Math..." Lily agreed.


    ***


    Like Margit had said, another adult came one day to examine the book. Judging by his hat and outfit, Lily had to assume he was some sort of wizard. He only lacked a big poofy beard, or he would''ve looked straight out of a storybook. Thankfully, he came at a time when Rose was visiting, and he was also supervised by Margit. After finally getting her mom''s book back, she was extremely reluctant to let it go again. He politely asked to see it, but as usual, he couldn''t open it. Lily had no idea why she was the only one who could open the book.


    "Would you mind opening it for me, please?" He requested.


    Lily did so and revealed the book''s plentiful pages. Despite how much she wrote or drew in it, she almost felt like it would never run out.


    "Remarkable... I would''ve said it''s some bloodline seal or something, but I cannot sense any magic from it." The man muttered to himself.


    He began a soft chant, and the palm of his hand shone with magic. He touched the book gingerly, and his eyes lit up. This was real magic! Lily held her breath and noticed that Rose had also. It made her little finger flames look humble in comparison.


    "Even a direct spell on it says it''s mundane. And I can see the pages are blank and contain no arcane secrets..." He continued to murmur.


    Against Lily''s expectations, he politely bowed to her and thanked her for letting him see her book.


    "I''ve confirmed it''s neither magical nor dangerous. While its locking is a mystery, I can''t see any reason why it shouldn''t be with the heir." He informed Margit, who smiled happily and started to escort him out. She gave Lily a friendly wink before she left.


    "Seems like everyone wanted your book," Rose said.


    "It''s weird, right?" Lily asked. "I don''t see anyone trying to steal Tim''s enchanted sword. They even let him keep it early after they locked its sheath."


    "Yeah. Even if paper is expensive, there''s no way it''s worth more than an enchanted sword." Rose agreed.


    Lily hugged the book tightly. It was all she had left from her mother.


    "Don''t worry. If anyone messes with you or your book, you come to me, and I''ll beat them up for you." Rose said protectively.


    "Thanks, Rose..." Lily said meekly.


    ***


    Arakil felt very cold, tired, and weak. Something was wrong. He had completely lost track of his sense of time and couldn''t even open his senses anymore. Whatever they''d done to his seal this time, had been far more effective than he realized. It felt like he''d lost an eternity of time, and worst of all, it was like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his mind; even his memories were in pieces.


    How long had it been since he was in this form of stasis, and why had he only awoken now? It was a question on which he lacked the mental faculties to begin formulating a hypothesis. All forms of enchantment he had done on his book seemed dead, dry of even the tiniest drop of Mana. What had happened to the world- no, the universe? Even if he was abandoned in some Mana-barren hellhole of a world, Mana was a constant.


    He felt what might have been the tiniest trickle of Mana into his pages; he believed he was currently open. So he wasn''t in a barren world? But what could have possibly happened for Mana levels to drop to an amount this pathetically low? It boggled his mind, and he tried his best to ignore it and conserve his strength. He needed to take any opportunity available while open to gather what little Mana he could until he was minorly operational. Then, perhaps he could work together with whoever was his current owner once they formed a method of communication.


    His telepathy spell was broken beyond repair, utterly starved to death. He felt the faint sense of something touching his pages; was it writing? The rhythmic motions felt vaguely in that category. He certainly hoped so because if this was some species that didn''t have a language, he felt utterly doomed. He''d need to bide his time, regain some sense of self whenever he was opened, and then, assuming it was writing or something similar, try to decipher if it was a language.


    It gave him some fleeting hope in the dire situation. He had plenty of experience learning languages; he was practically a polyglot after all the ones he had to learn for some obscure spell or ritual. Fighting against his emotions to stay awake, he instead put himself into a meditative trance to preserve and focus on gathering what little Mana he could.

 Chapter 5 - Contact

    Weeks passed, and Lily continued her lessons. The orphanage staff had collectively decided that Lily potentially had a good chance as a scribe, as her lettering continued to improve, and it would fit in well with her low bodily constitution. Once they were confident enough in her progress, they presented her with her first pen and ink during a private lesson.


    Lily spent time learning how to use the ink pen properly, and after she showed some success, they even gifted her one. While it was simple in design, Lily was absolutely delighted with it. Now, she could practice her grip, gently applying the correct pressure and proper care for the pen nib. When she returned to her room that evening, she wasted no time opening up her book and preparing to practice.


    She carefully opened the inkwell and dipped in, making sure not to draw too much ink. Then, she carefully placed it on the page; she planned to go through her basic lettering. When the nib touched the page, a dark splotch of ink filled the spot, quickly growing as if the pen had been emptied. Lily quickly withdrew the pen from the page and stared at the black spot with a frown.


    "No... Don''t tell me the pen they gave me is broken?" Lily said somberly.


    First, she sealed the inkpot shut to protect the ink. Then she tried her best to inspect the nib closely, and when she couldn''t spot anything wrong with it, she attempted to clean it. Maybe she had just made a mistake? She brought her attention back to the page, ready for round two. Her eyes widened as she stared at the page where the ink stain once was. The ink was moving as if alive, and it began drawing out a word before her very eyes.


    [Hello.]


    Lily screamed and knocked the book off her desk, sending it scattering to the floor. She rushed over to her bed and hid under the covers. She was so terrified she refused to come out from under the covers all night.


    ***


    Arakil wanted to cry. He had finally contacted his new owner, who became so frightened that she scattered his bookbound form to the floor.


    He had spent months gathering what little Mana he could from this deprived world and spent his time learning the language from the scribblings of the girl.


    From the little tidbits of information he had picked up, he had learned she was a hardworking orphan girl trying to get some form of scholarly position. It was certainly quite admirable in his eyes.


    Unfortunately, after all this effort, he still lacked enough to make contact unaided, so he could only stare in silence in the hope of somehow making contact with her one day. Then, finally, she had moved on from pencils to ink.


    Arakil had tried to keep his anticipation in check; with ink and a tiny bit of his stored Mana, he could make contact by manipulating the ink once it touched his pages!


    Unfortunately, he hadn''t expected his new owner to be so twitchy like a scared rabbit. If only he could''ve gotten some more information before making contact. The eye on his book cover that he used to be able to see the world from was far too drained of Mana to service him at present. He had assumed she was young, due to the sometimes crude drawings she scribbled in the book and her relatively low starting literacy.


    You''d think any kid would be fascinated by a book talking to her, right? I certainly would have been... At least my book is open, so I can gather a little more Mana. Small blessings...


    ***


    Lily woke the next day feeling miserable. She had a restless night filled with strange dreams. Groggily getting out of bed, she accidentally kicked something while trying to wipe her eyes. She winced and fell back onto her bed as she clutched her foot. Looking at the source of her pain, she saw it was her book lying on the floor. A chill went down her spine as she vividly remembered what had happened.


    "It was just a nightmare... Right?" Lily asked, trying to reassure herself.


    She cautiously approached the book and placed it back on her desk; she held her breath as she opened it up and began flipping through the pages. There, clearly written on the page, was the word in ink, was the word.


    [Hello.]


    She slammed the book shut again and shivered. She wanted to throw the book against the wall, but it was still her only connection to her mom, and it had been one of her only companions in the orphanage besides Rose. Instead, she placed it on the desk and tried her best to forget about the incident.


    "I''m sure I''m just sleepy. Or maybe I haven''t woken up properly yet," Lily muttered to herself.


    She grabbed her towel and ran towards the bathroom. She needed to prepare for the day and have breakfast before her classes started. Today''s class was math, which caused her to groan.


    ***


    Lily''s lack of sleep clearly affected her attention span, and classes were miserable. The teacher asked her if everything was okay after class, but Lily shook her head and just said she hadn''t slept well. She didn''t dare talk about the book''s message; what if they took it away from her again?


    Normally, she would rush back to her room afterward, but instead, she took a slow walk outside, sticking to the shade.


    ''I''m not scared to go back to my room... I''m just taking the scenic route!'' Lily told herself with false confidence.


    Eventually, she gathered up enough courage to return to her room. She tiptoed in as if expecting a beast to lurk in the shadows, but her room was completely undisturbed from when she left it. She closed the door behind her and cautiously approached the desk. She held her breath and slowly opened the book to the page.


    [Hello.]


    "H-Hello?" Lily asked the book.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    No response. Lily breathed in deeply.


    "Right... Even if you could respond, the ink is dry..." Lily said with hesitation.


    She looked for her inkpot and found it on the floor. She could only thank the gods that she had the foresight to seal the pot beforehand. She gingerly picked it up and was relieved that there appeared to be no damage to it.


    "This is so stupid... No way my book can talk..." Lily muttered to herself.


    Despite her hesitations, she placed the pot on the desk. Sitting down, she carefully picked up her pen and dipped it into the inkwell. She nervously held her breath and touched the page with the pen again.


    "Hello?" Lily said nervously.


    Once again, the pen instantly drained off its ink as it came out in a splotch. Lily''s eyes widened in shock at the exact events repeated, and she held back a scream as she saw the ink start to writhe and form words.


    [Sorry to have scared you. I hope you are okay.]


    The text was impossibly thin, clearly using every drop of ink with the utmost efficiency, and the letters were utterly perfect. If Lily wasn''t currently freaking out, she would have admired the work. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.


    "It''s okay... I''m... Fine. Can you hear me?" Lily eventually asked.


    The book did not respond, and she figured the ink on the page had dried too much for the book to use. She dipped her pen nib again and repeated the process.


    [Yes. I can hear you.]


    "My name is Lily. Do you have a name?" Lily asked, repeating the inking process.


    [Nice to meet you, Lily. My name is Arakil.]


    "Arakil... Are you a magic book?"


    [Under the loosest of definitions. Yes. I was an Archmage.]


    Lily gasped in surprise. Only the best of the best became Archmages, requiring someone to be born with both talent and a superior bloodline. On Arakil''s part, it was a little bit of a fib; he was an Archmage long ago, but it sounded more realistic from his viewpoint to downplay his position.


    "Can you do magic?"


    [I could. Regrettably, I lack sufficient Mana.]


    "Mana comes from our blood... Unfortunately, I don''t have any."


    [What!?]


    The ink wasn''t fully used, swirling around as if waiting for a response. Internally, Arakil was fuming.


    "I''m a Lagia. We can''t do ma-" Lily tried to explain when the swirling ink splashed out a response, interrupting her and causing her to let out a scared squeak.


    [Everyone can do magic!]


    Arakil wanted to scream, but this was the best he could do. What atrocities had become of the world that only the privileged few could do magic now? Magic was for everyone; it was the ultimate form of expression!


    "I can''t..." Lily responded, her voice wavering. "I''m not strong like Rose or the others."


    [You can do magic. You just need determination.]


    "I-I don''t believe you." Lily stammered.


    [What if I can prove it?]


    Lily gasped. It sounded too good to be true, and her doubts made her wonder whether this was some elaborate prank. But... Deep down, she truly wanted it to be true.


    "O-okay! Prove it then!" Lily demanded.


    [You will need a blank page and three doses of ink.]


    A bit of the remaining ink continued to swirl around as if waiting for more to provide further instructions. Lily thankfully understood the intention and hurried to offer more ink.


    [Once done, you must tear the page from the book.]


    More ink.


    [Then burn the center of the page.]


    [I will require 10 days to recover. Less if open.]


    [I hope this shows my faith in you. Any questions?]


    "No..." Lily replied, shaking her head.


    [Good. Let''s get started then. I hope to speak to you again.]


    Lily was shocked. It seemed too good to be true. She turned to a blank page, dipped her pin, and then deposited the ink. It pooled in the center of the page and awaited the remaining portion. Lily found herself holding her breath as she dipped her pen two more times.


    When the final drop was sucked up by the page, Arakil got to work. He would spend what little Mana he had acquired imbuing the ink for this demonstration, but he hoped it would suitably inspire Lily.


    He was still outraged at what she had said. Mana from blood? It sounded like absolute nonsense cooked up by some blue-blood noble to try to suppress knowledge. But... Arakil couldn''t sense Mana from Lily.


    ''Has Mana become an internal source rather than external? Have the races evolved in a way to live in this Mana-deficient environment?'' These were questions that pestered Arakil''s mind.


    As Arakil drew his magical diagram on the page, Lily stared in utter awe and wonder. Each stroke was masterful, the pattern was intricate and beautiful, and the ink seemed to faintly glow as it danced across the page.


    Meanwhile, Arakil was feeling a little bitter. While he loved his work, he couldn''t help but feel remorse at how much he struggled to create a simple illusion scroll. He had such a tiny amount of Mana to work with; it was pitiful.


    A small voice of doubt even told him to cut corners; surely a little girl wouldn''t even notice a bit of shoddy work in an illusion, but his pride refused to give in to temptation. Moreover, he wanted to leave a long-lasting impression on this youth, like what had started his own magical journey so long ago.


    The glyphs shone when the final stroke completed the magical circle, finalizing the work. Lily audibly gasped, her eyes glittering with fascination. Meanwhile, Arakil began slipping into unconsciousness; he had gone overboard with that scroll. With his last thoughts, he broke the seal that was keeping the page tied to the book, and silently wished Lily good luck.


    Lily gingerly touched the page, softly tracing the intricate sigils and glyphs with her fingers. Recalling the instructions Arakil had given her, she tried to carefully tear out the page.


    Lily had half expected to fail. Nobody had successfully claimed paper from this strange book, which was why it fell back into her ownership. Yet as she made the delicate motions, it effortlessly released from the book fully intact.


    Lily went to her lamp and lit it. The next instructions told her to burn the paper from the center. She hesitated, staring at the beautiful drawing on the paper.


    "I don''t want to burn it..." Lily murmured.


    Truthfully, she wanted to save it and cherish it. Then she realized she might be able to get Arakil to draw another one for her, which was when she finally resolved to see this through to the end. She daintily held the center of the page over the burning wick.


    Lily had expected the page to burn abruptly, but the center began to glow softly. Then, a tiny pinprick of a hole burned into the page, and the entire inked design began to glimmer like an iridescent rainbow. Once the magical diagram fully lit up, the page flashed and vanished from Lily''s fingertips as if instantly burnt to a crisp.


    Lily yelped in shock and surprise, frantically flicking her fingers as if they had been burnt. But there was no injury or burn. Had she done something wrong? The page hadn''t even left any residue, as if it had never existed. Lily''s heart began to sink when something started happening.


    The room began to darken and dim into barely a soft, warm glow when tiny specks of light suddenly twinkled all around. Stars materialized out of thin air, and the entire space was filled with a mesmerizing display of constellations. Lily''s room was transformed into an ethereal night sky.


    Lily gasped, tears forming in her eyes as her hands began to tremble. She stared in wonder and awe as the magical display unfolded, casting a spell of enchantment over the room.


    It was as if the beauty of the universe had manifested within the confines of her room. Watching this breathtaking sight, Lily felt as though she could reach out and touch the stars, their gentle glow casting a radiant and enchanting ambiance throughout the space.


    Lily stood there in silence; the only sound was the occasional pitter-patter of tears dripping to the floor. She spun around, desperately trying to burn every bit of this display into her memory. Then the room began to brighten, the stars began to slowly blur, and a few moments later, the room returned to normal. With great excitement, she turned back to the page of their conversation.


    "That was amazing, Arakil!" Lily exclaimed.


    She had dipped her pen and placed it against the page, but nothing happened. Fear gripped her heart, but reading Arakil''s last words, she realized he was truthful when he said he would need time to recover. Not wanting to waste the ink, she instead wrote on the page.


    [Thank you.]


    "I hope you wake up soon," Lily said, struggling to hide her smile.

 Chapter 6 - Apprentice

    Even though Lily struggled to sleep that night, her excitement constantly bubbled up; when she finally did pass out, she had wonderful dreams. As Arakil had asked, she left the book open, although she wasn''t entirely sure how that would let him wake up sooner.


    Eager to check if he had recovered, she opened her inkpot and dipped the pen into the page. There was no response, so she spent some time practicing her pressure and strokes.


    "I need lots of practice to draw things like that spell..." Lily murmured, still perplexed by how beautiful and precise it had been.


    Finishing up, she cleaned her equipment and left for the day, trying her best to contain the excitement still threatening to bubble up.


    While her lessons seemed much duller now, she still put forth her best effort. Lily knew that if she started slacking, they might decide not to refill her inkpot when it ran out, and she figured that it would be her utmost priority to continue speaking to Arakil.


    At lunch, she met up with Rose, who looked bored out of her mind.


    "I don''t know how you do it, Lily..." Rose muttered, "So much math. The numbers make my head spin."


    Lily shrugged; while she didn''t enjoy most of her lessons other than writing, she just had far too much free time compared to the other kids who wanted to play outside or seek training.


    "Teacher says practice makes perfect... And I have lots of time to practice." Lily finally responded.


    "Ugh..." Rose groaned, picking up a chicken drumstick and digging in.


    "You''ve started magic lessons, right?" Lily asked. "How are those going?"


    Rose was surprised by the subject being brought up, as when she had originally tried to talk about it, it just made Lily depressed. Not wanting to upset her little sister, she avoided discussing anything Lily could not do.


    "It''s... Interesting?" Rose eventually began speaking, hesitant to cause another depressive episode with Lily. "At first, I hated it; it was lots of breathing and meditation about feeling my Mana flowing through my veins. But lately, it''s gotten better."


    "How do you cast a spell?" Lily asked.


    "Umm..." Rose mumbled, trying to recall her lessons. "At the moment, I can only cast from my bloodline. My teacher is trying to teach me to cast with a chant."


    Lily seemed puzzled as she tilted her head and frowned, so Rose sighed and decided to try her best to explain. She snapped her fingers and made a little flame dance above her fingertip like she had done many times before.


    "This is casting from my bloodline. I can naturally cast fire without much effort. Hell, I could do this before even my teacher came along," Rose tried to explain. "But proper mages can cast other spells, not just their natural bloodline magic, and to do that, I need to chant."


    Lily nodded enthusiastically, her bunny ears flopping back and forth, even though she only vaguely understood what Rose was talking about. Rose was delighted by her cute little sister''s enthusiasm for a change.


    "Have you ever seen magic drawings?" Lily asked, then quickly clarified. "Like... Magic patterns that cast a spell, drawn on a piece of paper."


    Rose scratched her head as she wracked her brain, trying to remember some of the theory lessons she had gone through. She silently cursed her lack of enthusiasm about her lessons¡ªher big sister image was on the line here!


    "Yes..." Rose eventually strained out. "Other than chanting, I think you can also draw... Glyphs? I think you draw it with blood?"


    "Blood!?" Lily gasped.


    "Well... Mana is in our blood, right?" Rose answered, although she only looked half sure herself.


    But Arakil did it with just normal ink... How? Lily wondered, deep in thought.


    "I''ll ask my teacher about other kinds of magic next lesson," Rose offered.


    "Thanks, Rose!" Lily said happily.


    Rose couldn''t help but smile at her adorable little sister. She just hoped her teacher wouldn''t be too upset about revisiting old lessons she hadn''t been listening to.


    When Lily returned to her room later that day, she immediately tried again to talk to Arakil. When there was no response, she figured he must still be sleeping. She continued to practice her penmanship before finally calling it a night.


    ***


    A week passed, and Lily checked every morning and evening to see if Arakil had finally returned. A small part of her couldn''t help but wonder if she had imagined the whole thing.


    What terrified her the most was that Arakil''s writing was in the book, and it had been her pillar of support that she hadn''t just been delusional. However, one day, when Rose came for an unexpected visit, she could not see his writing.


    "Why did you write ''Thank you'' on this page?" Rose had asked.


    Lily had to hide her trembling as she made her excuse, "I was practicing to thank my teacher."


    Thankfully the excuse worked, and Rose teased Lily for trying to suck up to the teacher. But internally, Lily was extremely shaken by that revelation, and her nightmares returned that evening.


    Then, one night, her pen nib was drained dry while she was in mid-practice. It was so sudden that she couldn''t help but let out a squeak.


    [Hello again, Lily.]


    "Arakil! You woke up!" Lily said excitedly. "I was so worried..."


    [It''s only been... 8 days? That''s ahead of schedule.]If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "I know..." Lily admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. "But, my friend couldn''t see your writing. I thought... Maybe... It wasn''t real."


    Even though Lily had placed ink on the page for him to respond, Arakil kept it swirling as he tried to take the time to think. That was certainly a strange revelation; was it part of the conditions put on his seal? His memory of the event was extremely degraded, and who knew what those blasted fairies and devils put into that contract.


    [I believe, as my owner, you are the only one I can communicate with.]


    Lily''s eyes sparkled as she read those words. Her childlike wonder immediately believed those words were true; this was her destined book, which her mother had left behind! Only she could open it, and only she could read from it. Flawless logic.


    "Thanks, Arakil," Lily murmured, her anxiety all but gone. "I loved the spell you did. The stars were so beautiful..."


    [I''m glad it showed you the wonders of magic.]


    "Did you put blood in the ink? Rose''s teacher said that glyphs need blood."


    [No. I imbued the ink with some of the Mana I collected.]


    "How? Mana comes from blood."


    [Mana is everywhere.]


    "But I don''t have any Mana."


    After some back-and-forth, Lily convinced Arakil to investigate her blood. This was clearly some deep-rooted phenomenon in the world he had awoken in, and Lily was adamant that she had no Mana. Arakil had even begun to wonder if the girl was perhaps right; after all, the ambient Mana had dropped to such pitiful levels.


    Lily put on her best brave face and used one of the sharper pen nibs to stab a tiny wound on her finger. She still flinched and then placed the drop of blood into the book by smearing her finger against a page.


    Arakil examined the blood and was shocked; the girl did not even have a hint of Mana. Was this the conditions that those blasted fairies put on him? He could only bond with someone completely devoid of Mana? It was a startling revelation.


    His mind began to whirl as he tried to think of a solution. Casting without any personal Mana was certainly possible; Lily had proven that by activating the scroll he had prepared for her. If that fundamental law of the universe had somehow changed, Arakil would have undoubtedly been doomed.


    I need to access my archives... But to do that, I need more Mana. Arakil thought bitterly.


    It was a catch-22 situation. He was confident his considerable archives could provide a ritual, potion, or other solution that could grant Lily personal Mana. Arakil had certainly done many such things in the past to improve his own personal aptitudes and capacity. The only issue was that he would need far more Mana than he could reasonably collect to thoroughly search his archives.


    [You don''t currently have Mana. But we can fix that.]


    When the first part of Arakil''s message was written out, Lily wanted to cry, but thankfully, the rest came before the tears.


    "You promise?" Lily hesitantly asked.


    [Yes. I''ve done so in the past. But I need Mana to search my archives.]


    "How can we get you some Mana?"


    [What if we collect blood from some people?]


    "Blood? How much blood?" Lily asked hesitantly. She didn''t like the idea, but maybe she could ask Rose for a few drops?


    [Depending on the concentration... 30 to 60 liters should be enough.]


    "H-how much is that?" Lily stammered. It sounded like a lot to her.


    [Roughly 5 to 10 human bodies worth.]


    "No! That sounds totally evil!" Lily vehemently refused.


    Arakil sighed internally. He knew it was a long shot since the child was clearly extremely goodhearted despite her desperate desire to seek magic. Still... If the people had changed so much in this new world, what about the fauna and flora?


    [Does this world have monsters? What about potions?]


    "Yes, there are monsters," Lily answered. "My parents were adventurers. Are you talking about healing potions? Those are quite expensive."


    [Good. Okay... Maybe we can work with that.]


    "What do you mean?" Lily was confused.


    [Monsters likely have Mana. I also theorize that the plants might contain Mana.]


    "Why would plants have Mana?" Lily asked confusedly.


    [The alternative means that people are mixing blood into potions.]


    Lily''s face went ghastly pale.


    "Do you want me to ask people? I can try Rose... Or Rose''s teacher?"


    [Or you could pick some herbs and press them between my pages.]


    "Like a bookmark?"


    [Yes. That should be enough for me to check for any Mana.]


    "Okay!" Lily enthusiastically agreed. "I can ask Rose to pick flowers with me; she''s strong and will keep me safe."


    [I''m glad you are happy. But I just want to set some expectations.]


    "Okay..."


    [If this works, it will be a long process. In fact, I predict we might need to start you off with glyphs. If the plants contain Mana, we could create imbued ink.]


    "Wow..." Lily whispered. "So I can draw that pretty magic?"


    [Yes. In fact, we should start your lessons immediately. Your penmanship is already commendable.]


    "Yes! Please!" Lily replied excitedly. "And thank you..."


    [You''re welcome, my apprentice. Now, a new page, two portions of ink. ]


    Lily nodded and followed the instructions. Arakil immediately began another drawing that amazed her, although it was far simpler than the one he had first shown her. Still, even in its simplicity, it seemed masterfully crafted, and Lily couldn''t help but stare in wonder. When Arakil was done, she turned back to their conversation page.


    [That was the layout for a simple magical projectile. It''s a very basic offensive spell. There''s no Mana in that, but you can practice the design until you can replicate it without reference. Next page, two portions.]


    Again, Arakil repeated the process, and Lily recognized that a few symbols matched the previous one. Again, it was a relatively simple design, barely using up space on the page.


    [This is a basic shield spell. Designed to protect you at minimum once. You should practice this one the most, as it will become your best friend.]


    "Okay!" Lily exuberantly agreed.


    [Excellent! I''ll be meditating, but call my name if you need to catch my attention. Otherwise, I''ll wait until you have some plants to examine.]


    "Thank you, Arakil! I''ll practice super hard!"


    Arakil was going to wish her the best when he paused. Was he really going to send a little girl out to collect plants? Lily said she had a strong friend and didn''t seem too worried about the suggestion indicating potentially peaceful surroundings... But still, Arakil had doubts. Luck was never on his side, and contingencies were his forte.


    [Two pages. One portion each. Tear out both pages.]


    Lily was surprised but followed the instructions. Arakil repeated one of each spell he had previously drawn, except this time, the pages shimmered with magical energy. She removed both pages like the last time without any effort.


    "What are these for?" Lily asked curiously, holding the two pages carefully like delicate treasures.


    [Use these in case of an emergency. Tear the page down the center and throw it to trigger it.]


    "Okay, I will. But, are you okay?" Lily asked, worried that he had done two magic pages this time.


    [I''ll be asleep for four days at minimum. But I wanted to ensure your safety. Good luck, Lily.]


    "I will be safe!" Lily promised. "Sleep tight, Arakil."


    He wanted to respond, but he was parched. He could already feel his consciousness rapidly slipping. He couldn''t help but feel bitter at how low the once mighty Arakil had fallen. Drained dry from imbuing a single shield and attack spell... But if the flora had Mana, then creating homemade imbued ink was feasible, and then... Well, the Mana from mere plants would never be enough to search his archives, but once Lily had gained some confidence with her glyph work, then Monsters would likely hold a solution to their predicament.


    Lily stared at the two pages in her grasp with joyous wonder. Then she realized that Arakil only used one portion of ink per page instead of two. Curious, she compared the pages to their original counterparts and realized that Arakil had made the first lines thicker for easier readability.


    Lily couldn''t help but giggle excitedly at how kind Arakil was to her, trying to make it easier for her to read. She cleaned up her equipment and carefully put it away. Then she pulled out a pencil and roughly copied the first drawing as precisely as possible.


    "Don''t worry, Arakil. I''ll get this perfect with pencil first and then ink." Lily said confidently.


    With the excitement bubbling, Lily was burning the midnight oil until one of the staff members knocked on her door and scolded her for not going to bed already.


    Lily sighed and headed for her bed. She carefully placed the two scrolls under her pillow. When her head hit the pillow, she yawned and slowly drifted off to slumber.

 Chapter 7 - Herbs

    "You want to go and... Pick flowers?" Rose asked, unable to hide her suspicion.


    "Not just flowers. Like... Magic herbs and stuff!" Lily answered, trying to sound more reasonable.


    "Herbs aren''t magical; they''re medicinal. I know they sort of sound similar, but..." Rose began answering until she saw Lily putting on an extremely pouty face.


    "How do you explain healing potions then?" Lily asked, drawing Arakil''s earlier reasoning like a prepared weapon.


    "What do you mean? They''re magic potions that heal you?" Rose asked, taking the bait.


    "If they''re magic, does that mean people mix blood into them?" Lily dropped the bombshell with childlike smugness.


    Rose opened her mouth to try to answer or dispute it, then paused as she wasn''t entirely sure of that herself. Surely they don''t mix blood into potions to make them magical? Right? That would be super gross. Rose began to frantically wonder.


    "See! That means the plants must have some magic in them." Lily declared.


    "Okay... Granted, that makes some sense, and gods, I hope you''re right about that..." Rose said as she faked retching. "But what does that have to do with you? I don''t know if they will let you swap from scribe to potion maker..."


    Lily looked around frantically and then responded in a hushed whisper. "Can you keep a secret?"


    "For you? Always." Rose responded without hesitation.


    "I need plants to learn magic," Lily said, barely audible. "I''m also going to be a mage, just like you."


    Rose felt her heart breaking at Lily''s earnest assertion. She didn''t want to spoil her little sister''s childlike enthusiasm with a harsh dose of reality. She found it odd that she was acting out so unexpectedly, as other than some emotional outbursts every so often, Lily had always been reserved and grounded despite her situation.


    "Really? What''s the plan?" Rose asked, trying her best to sound supportive.


    Lily leaned in again. "This is the big secret. Don''t tell anyone."


    Rose nodded and made a hand gesture of zipping her lips shut.


    "My mom''s book really is magical," Lily whispered. "His name is Arakil, and he says he can teach me magic."


    The absolute joy plastered on her face made Rose feel awkward at that revelation. Surely Lily was too old to develop an imaginary friend? Was she having a late childhood or something? Rose''s concerns were interrupted when Lily pulled on her hand.


    "You can''t tell anyone!" Lily demanded. "Otherwise, they will take my book away again."


    Rose immediately leaned down and ruffled the hair and ears on Lily''s head.


    "I already promised, didn''t I?" Rose tried to reassure her. "But even though the outside is relatively safe close to the walls, it''s still risky."


    Lily nodded in agreement. With wide begging eyes, she delivered a line so perfectly that Rose couldn''t help but feel struck. "That''s why I didn''t go alone, I wanted my Big Sis to protect me!"


    Rose clutched her chest, pretending to stagger dramatically.


    "You got my heartstrings wrapped around your little finger, you little devil," Rose replied teasingly. "Who taught you how to weaponize your cuteness? Was it your friend Arakil?"


    Lily shook her head frantically, her bunny ears flopping from side to side. "No, he didn''t. But he did give me something for protection."


    Lily reached into her pocket and pulled out two pieces of folded paper. Rose stared at the pages, feeling very puzzled as Lily carefully unfolded them with the utmost delicacy, revealing paper of what looked like the highest quality without even a hint of a blemish.


    Where did Lily get this paper from? This isn''t common parchment; it''s absolutely pure white! Did she steal it from somewhere? Rose couldn''t help but worry in disbelief. After all, everyone had tried to pull pages from that book unsuccessfully.


    Hell, I even tried to burn it when Lily wasn''t looking... Rose hated to admit.


    It was a moment of weakness when she had given in to a small fit of draconic rage at being defied by a mere book. Her tiny temper flares had been one of the reasons she had stopped hanging out with most other children, except for Lily.


    Lily''s docility and inherent cuteness brought out a different sentiment in Rose than her instinctual competitiveness toward her peers, which was why she doted on the bunny so much. After all, she was her little sister.


    "It took a lot of effort for Arakil to make these. So he''s passed out." Lily interrupted Rose''s thoughts. "That''s why I need plants. Since I don''t have magic blood. Then he can teach me magic without falling asleep."


    Rose felt very conflicted by this explanation. It sounded far too in-depth for a simple childish delusion. Rose briefly considered that perhaps Lily was telling the truth but dismissed that idea rather rapidly, as the paper she proudly showed off was entirely blank. How was a blank piece of paper supposed to protect her?


    If I don''t agree, she''s going to just sneak out by herself. Rose reasoned. And Lily will never forgive me if I tell the staff, even for her safety.


    "Okay," Rose eventually agreed with an affirming nod. "On our next free day, we can go pick some flowers."


    "Thank you, Rose!" Lily cheerfully responded, like a beacon of bliss, as she practically threw herself into Rose''s side for a hug.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Of course!" Rose replied while returning the hug. "What kind of big sis would I be if I couldn''t protect you?"


    ***


    Today was finally the free day Lily had been eagerly awaiting. Arakil was still asleep, so she couldn''t do much in that regard other than continue practicing the magic drawings he had demonstrated. She was extremely confident in the protection spell and had moved on to practicing with ink rather than pencil, and the attack spell was close behind.


    She wanted to practice more with ink, but unfortunately, she had to dedicate most of it to her writing lessons. However, she found that practicing the precise penmanship required for the magical diagram had also improved her penmanship as a by-product.


    Lily put on clothes she didn''t mind getting dirty and carefully stored her two spell pages in a breast pocket. She also brought a small basket she had acquired from one of the store rooms. Before she left, she checked on Arakil, but there was still no response, so she carefully hid the book under her mattress.


    Lily excitedly knocked on Rose''s door and smiled happily when it opened. She saw her big sis appear prepared and ready to go.


    "Well, aren''t you excited?" Rose teased.


    "I am. I have so much work to do to catch up to you." Lily answered.


    Rose chuckled to hide that the compliment made her feel a little weird, considering she still shirked most of her lessons. Her teachers would have probably given up on her if it wasn''t for her natural aptitude from her heritage.


    "Before we go, I have a surprise for you," Rose said, disappearing into her cupboard.


    Lily bounced on her heels as she eagerly awaited. Then Rose approached with her hands behind her back. Before Lily could peek and see what it was, Rose placed something on her head and started to ruffle it around as she adjusted it.


    "Hey! Watch the ears!" Lily complained and tried to struggle a little.


    Her ears were certainly more malleable than those of other Demihumans, but it still felt uncomfortable to have them manhandled. Rose grumbled and then made some adjustments. Then, there was a popping feeling, which was met with relief for her ears.


    "There we go!" Rose said proudly and pulled Lily over to a mirror.


    Lily looked curiously in the mirror and saw a massive sunhat resting on her head with holes specially made for her bunny ears to pop out of. At first, she gasped with surprise, then smiled happily.


    "Thank you, Rose!" Lily said cheerfully.


    "I think I need to make the holes bigger next time," Rose giggled. "But I didn''t want to let you go outside without some extra shade."


    "Gosh... I totally forgot," Lily blushed sheepishly. "I would have come back home looking like a boiled crab."


    "And we definitely can''t have that." Rose teased. "Good thing your big sis has you covered."


    Lily nodded energetically.


    Rose grabbed her last few things, and they headed out. When they exited the orphanage gate and entered the city streets, Rose reached out and held Lily''s hand tight. Ceedale was famously well-run and safe as far as cities go, but Rose wasn''t about to take any chances.


    "When was the last time you even left the orphanage?" Rose asked curiously.


    "Umm..." Lily mumbled as she tried to think. "I think when they took us to see the adventurers sparring with the city guards?"


    Rose frowned. "That was years ago!"


    "It''s not like there''s anything here in the city for me..." Lily moaned.


    "I guess..." Rose sighed. "I just don''t want you rotting away in your room. The world needs to see how cute you are."


    "You make it sound like you always go into the city," Lily said skeptically.


    "Well... I may have snuck out to avoid class on a few occasions." Rose admitted. "I was pretty dead set on becoming an adventurer for a while. So I used to watch them a lot."


    "What made you change your mind?" Lily asked. "I hope you didn''t because of me."


    Rose laughed. "Sorta? But not really. I definitely can''t take you out on adventures. But the orphanage really wanted me to go to magic school, and they said if I graduate, I can skip adventurer ranks."


    "Really? Do all magic schools offer that?" Lily asked.


    "Well..." Rose mumbled, seeming hesitant to answer.


    "Well?" Lily pressed.


    Rose sighed before finally answering, "They want to send me to Regarth."


    Lily''s eyes went wide with astonishment. Regarth was said to be in the top ten schools in the entire world. Everybody knew the name; it was extremely famous and one of the few schools with dedicated access to a dungeon. It was said that unless you were the cream of the crop, you could not get into Regarth.


    "H-how?" Lily stammered.


    "Promise not to get mad?" Rose asked.


    Lily nodded her head frantically; she had to know the answer.


    "The orphanage made me do a magic test." Rose began to answer.


    "All the kids do that," Lily pointed out. It was one of the ways the orphanage helped determine future opportunities for the children.


    Rose nodded. "But, there''s a second test. The first test helps detect kids with hidden potential. I passed that... And then the second test revealed I have very deep ties to a bloodline magic."


    Lily gasped. "That''s amazing... But... Why didn''t you tell me?"


    Rose frowned. "I was worried you''d hate me for it."


    Lily felt guilty. She probably would have been insanely jealous if it hadn''t been for Arakil''s promise and that starry display.


    "I''d never hate you, Rose," Lily replied, giving a quick squeeze via their connected hands.


    "Thanks, Lily," Rose said, squeezing back.


    "So... You passed, and then what happened?" Lily asked, still curious. "Doesn''t it cost a fortune to go there?"


    "I thought so too, but apparently, you can get into Regarth in a few ways." Rose began answering."You can take a test, and if you pass, you will be allowed to enroll with a reduced fee based on your results. Most get in that way, although only the richest of the rich can afford it unless they do extremely well in the test.


    "Secondly, you can get a referral from a respected alumni or staff member. However, this almost never happens; if your referral fails, you''re held responsible. Staff members can get potentially fired, and alumni could have their diplomas stripped.


    "The third method is if you have a potent or unique bloodline magic, which gets you in with a heavy discount or even for a full free ride. That is how I got in, although I was apparently just short of the free ride."


    Lily was nodding along, trying her best to commit Rose''s words to memory. When she got her magic, she needed to know her potential prospects if she wanted to follow after Rose.


    "I bet you could have gotten the free one if you weren''t slacking off," Lily playfully teased.


    Rose made an exaggerated wince. "Yeah... But in fairness, I had no idea what the test was. I thought maybe they were punishing me for doing badly on the first test... If I had known, I probably would have taken it seriously."


    "At least you still passed the second test despite that. Imagine failing and then finding out you missed Regarth."


    Rose''s body gave a small shudder. "Gods... I would have never lived that down. I would have been a laughing stock."


    Lily couldn''t help but giggle. Even if that had happened, Rose would have beaten up any kids who dared laugh at her.


    "So anyway..." Rose spoke. "To answer your original question. Regarth''s name means so much that graduating from it lets you get a headstart as an adventurer."


    "That''s amazing. I knew it was big but didn''t know it was that big." Lily expressed her shock.


    "Yup! It''s super exciting," Rose admitted. "They even have optional courses for adventurers you can sign up for. You can even go into the dungeon."


    "That means you''re probably going to have to stop slacking off." Lily teased.


    Rose sighed with a reluctant nod. "Probably... If I dropped out with the rich kids in the first year, I think that would ruin any future job opportunities for me."


    Lily gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I believe in you, big sis!"


    "Well, now I just have to pass!" Rose stuck her tongue out. "Watch, I''ll become an honor student just for you."


    They both laughed at that declaration. Lily was happy to see Rose''s excited side, and Rose was delighted to finally reveal this secret.


    By now, they had reached the city gate. The city guards only briefly questioned them before allowing them to exit. They were also friendly enough to suggest staying within visual range of the guardpost for extra security.


    "I bet those guards just want to show off to my adorable little sister." Rose snorted. "If anything comes, I''ll be the one protecting you."

 Chapter 8 - Gathering

    "Wow..." Lily gaped as she stared at the scenery beyond the city walls.


    Lush greenery spread out as far as the eye could see, with light vegetation covering the ground except for a well-traveled path scarred with wagon tracks. There was a nearby forest practically begging to be explored and tickled Lily''s imagination. In the distance, birdsong graced the air, adding to the tranquil and enchanting atmosphere.


    Lily was awestruck; she had no idea there were such untamed wilds beyond the city walls, and had never seen so much nature in one place. Sure, the orphanage had a small yard cordoned off with some sparse trees and vegetation, and some of the wealthy city residents had gardens, but nothing of this scale.


    It certainly didn''t help that the walls were high enough that nobody could see past them unless you climbed on top of a tall building roof, something Lily almost certainly would not be capable of. For her entire life, the world had been contained to the city.


    "This is your first time outside the walls, right?" Rose asked.


    Lily nodded, her ears flopping wildly against her sun hat.


    Rose giggled at the cute sight. "Some of the boys do it quite often. Especially the ones who want to be adventurers."


    "Tim?" Lily asked.


    "Yes. He swings his stupid sword around in the sheath, or so I''ve heard," Rose answered. "He isn''t bothering you again, is he?"


    Lily shook her head.


    Tim was a Leonia, another Demihuman related to lions. He was overly rambunctious and fond of roughhousing with the other kids. While normally this wouldn''t be a problem, Leonia are all naturally quite strong, and Lily was unusually weak despite being older than him. This resulted in the younger boy bullying her, at least from Lily''s perspective.


    The staff at the time had mostly brushed it off, saying that Tim had a crush on her. Lily couldn''t understand that reasoning; if she liked someone, she would want to treat them nicely and gently. Eventually, it became too much for Lily, and she verbally exploded at the boy, who then lashed out in retaliation. This resulted in quite an altercation¡ªthat is until Rose stepped in.


    Rose had sent the proud lion tumbling away with a single punch. Rose declared that Lily was her little sister and would punish anyone who bothered her. Rather than fighting, Tim fled to lick his wounds at such a fierce display and hadn''t approached Lily ever since.


    "Good. Let me know if that ever changes, Tim or anyone else," Rose declared.


    Lily gave Rose''s hand another squeeze.


    "Come, let''s go pick some plants," Rose said and led the way.


    Lily had no idea what she was looking for, and Rose was likewise clueless. The hope was that just focusing on variety would be enough, and at least one would be useful for Arakil, and then they would know what to look for. They picked two of everything whenever possible and threw them into the basket. Flowers, herbs, and most likely quite a few weeds. Anything that looked different from the grass was picked.


    They were forced to wander a little bit away from the city perimeter to get more variety, although they were still well within what felt like the safety range.


    "Do the other kids really come out here?" Lily asked.


    "Mostly the other side," Rose answered. "Occasionally, small monsters appear weak enough that even a ten-year-old can beat them up with a pointy stick or a big rock."


    "Really?" Lily asked curiously. "What kind?"


    "Nothing bigger than a slime or dire rat," Rose answered. "When something like a dire wolf or gremlin appears, the city guards quickly get rid of it."


    "Gremlins..." Lily mumbled. She had only seen an illustration of one in a book, and they were quite vicious-looking, with oversized mouths filled with teeth.


    "They look worse than they are," Rose said reassuringly. "They are small, and a good kick is enough to nearly kill one."


    "Why do you say that like you''ve had firsthand experience?" Lily asked with suspicion.


    Rose coughed and failed at hiding a mischievous grin. "I may have snuck out once to try fighting one with some of the boys."


    "Why would you do that!?" Lily demanded.


    "To get stronger, of course. You have to beat monsters to get stronger." Rose answered, flexing one of her arms.


    Lily stared with suspicion and doubt. That sounded too convenient.


    "Don''t give me that look," Rose rebuked. "It''s what all the adventurers say. Why else do you think they hunt monsters?"


    "To keep everyone safe?" Lily answered.


    "Even if a few good people want to be a hero, there are far too many adventurers around," Rose reasoned.


    "Money?" Lily tried again.


    "That''s definitely closer," Rose replied. "But the number one reason I heard was power."


    "So, did the gremlin give you power?" Lily asked.


    Rose sighed. "No... There were too many of us around. If I was alone, then maybe."


    Lily couldn''t hide her frown; the explanation didn''t sound very reasonable.


    "I''m telling the truth; you can ask any veteran adventurer if you don''t believe me," Rose defended herself.


    "And you said my magic plants were unbelievable," Lily grumbled.


    Rose held out a freshly picked dandelion and raised her eyebrow. "Magic plant?"


    "I didn''t say that one was one..." Lily objected. "Plus, Arakil said the plants might have Mana inside them."


    "Hmm... Convenient," Rose teased.


    They laughed at each other.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ***


    The plant gathering was going relatively well. Occasionally, a traveler would wave at the two, and one of the guards would check on them from time to time. It was a pleasant experience for Lily, and she vowed to get out a little more often.


    Eventually, they found a nice spot to sit down, have a break, and eat. Lily was immensely grateful for Rose, who had the foresight to pack some sandwiches and water. The two spent most of their break people-watching, seeing all manner of visitors heading to and from the city.


    Rose tried to spot any adventurers, while Lily was more interested in seeing the various animals, wagons, and carriages. They even played a game of guessing the cargo or the travelers'' intent.


    "Is this area safer because of all the people?" Lily asked.


    "Yup. This is the main road, so it''s kept safer than the others." Rose answered. "The other exit is basically the city''s backyard, and it''s kept a little wilder for newbie adventurers."


    "How?" Lily asked. "Can''t the monsters just... Roam around?"


    Rose pointed to various points in the distance and swirled her hand vaguely. "There are guard posts around those areas; they do a pretty good job of deterring the monsters. There''s also some patrols on the road."


    Lily nodded along to the explanation.


    "Actually... I think my magic teacher also mentioned something about wards?" Rose said, scratching her head.


    "What are those?" Lily immediately asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.


    "Oh no... I can feel my big sister ranking dropping," Rose said sheepishly. "I''m not sure... I can''t remember..."


    "I guess if you get kicked out of Regarth, I''ll get to see you again sooner." Lily teased.


    "... I''ll start paying more attention..." Rose grumbled.


    Moments before they were about to continue after their break, one of the guards approached. He waved friendly to the two, and both girls smiled and waved in response.


    "You two sure are hard workers," the guard said with a bright smile. "Are you trying to earn some extra pocket money?"


    "Actua-" Lily began responding.


    "Yes. We''re looking for herbs." Rose interrupted.


    The guard actually nodded as if he expected that response. "I used to do something similar when I was your age. Although I''m afraid I don''t see much the alchemists will like in your basket. This area has been picked pretty clean of the good stuff."


    "Oh..." Lily said, feeling a little dejected. If these weren''t magic herbs, they probably were not what Arakil needed.


    "Ah! Don''t look so down, little miss!" the guard responded in a small panic. He did not want to earn a reputation for making little girls cry. "There''s a little hollow nearby here, hidden in a small cavity. Not many people know about it, so it might have something."


    Lily immediately brightened up.


    "Thank you, sir," Rose said politely, happy Lily had recovered.


    "No problem, kiddo," the guard replied with relief, "Just passing along the favor I was given."


    "Favor?" Rose asked with a hint of suspicion.


    "I''m also from the orphanage," he answered. "A friendly guard back then helped me out and told me about this little treasure trove. So now I''m continuing the tradition."


    "That''s really nice," Lily said happily.


    "It''s pretty cool," Rose admitted.


    The guard nodded, happy to have earned some heartfelt praise. "Great, quickly before my break ends. Then you two should head home afterward; even this safe zone is riskier when it gets late."


    "Yes, sir, we will," Rose responded.


    "Osmin," the guard replied. "There''s no need to call me sir; I''m certainly not that old yet."


    Osmin chuckled to himself.


    "Thank you, Osmin," Lily replied.


    True to his words, he took them to an area that, from a distance, would be easily overlooked. There was a cavity in the ground that was hard to spot unless you were very close. Looking down into the indent in the ground, numerous flowers could be spotted, and Lily gasped in surprise.


    "Pretty..." Lily whispered.


    "Most people call this the flower hole," Osmin explained. "It''s pretty to look at but nothing valuable. However, here is the real secret..."


    The guard pulled out a large dagger and cut away at some large roots blocking what looked like a small opening. He was precise with his cutting, ensuring he did not remove all the natural camouflage.


    "Take a peek," Osmin said proudly, gesturing to the hole.


    Rose was the first to approach, leading the initiative to carefully push aside the salvia flowers blocking the view. Lily followed closely behind. True to his word, the inside was a rather sizable hollow filled with all sorts of strange plants neither girl had ever seen before.


    "I don''t think I can fit in there..." Rose admitted. "I can reach in and grab some of the ones at the front, though."


    The guard laughed. "Yeah, it''s one of the reasons I stopped using it. Just be careful who you pass the knowledge on to; someone greedy might dig up the entire thing and ruin it for everyone."


    "That would be horrible..." Lily replied with a frown.


    "Agreed. Hence, the secret." Osmin said. "You should be small enough to fit in; just be sure not to pick it clean. Leave enough behind, and it will grow back quite quickly."


    "That sounds..." Rose muttered.


    "Magical?" Osmin answered.


    Lily nodded in agreement with Osmin, but Rose still seemed skeptical. Still, she had to admit this was a positive outcome.


    "Great. I''ll leave you two to do your collecting; I need to get back to my post before someone complains," Osmin said, feeling rather happy about sharing this secret with the two.


    "Thank you, Osmin," Lily said politely.


    "Yeah, thanks!" Rose added.


    "You''re very welcome. Tell the orphanage staff that Oz says hello," Osmin requested, and both girls nodded in agreement.


    He waved goodbye and started walking away.


    "Oh! One more thing!" Osmin said, suddenly stopping. "When you try to sell to the alchemist, tell her Osmin sent you. She''s a nasty old bat, but she means well. Usually..."


    They nodded and thanked him again, although Lily had no intention of selling the plants. On the other hand, Rose was intrigued by the idea; perhaps when Lily stopped with this imaginary magic book friend, they could sell the stuff and get something fun.


    "That was nice of him..." Lily said a little shyly.


    "Yeah, I''m a little surprised," Rose confessed. "With the way some of the boys describe the guards, you''d think they had fun punishing kids."


    Lily giggled. "You don''t need to be a genius to figure that out. They''re probably causing all sorts of trouble."


    "You''re probably right," Rose said. "Or maybe he was just totally charmed by my cute little sister."


    "I don''t see how me being cute helps?" Lily rejected the idea.


    "Cuteness is the ultimate weapon. It can defeat anything," Rose declared.


    "Even mighty dragons?" Lily asked teasingly.


    "Especially mighty dragons." Rose pointed a thumb to her own grinning face. "Case in point."


    They both laughed again. Today had been far more enjoyable than either of them thought it would be.


    Lily reached up and pulled off her hat, her ears flopping with newfound freedom.


    "Keep my hat safe, please. I''ll crawl in the hole and grab some plants."


    Rose agreed and supervised the task. Lily crawled down and stuck her head in; the hole wasn''t big enough to fit her entire body in, so they decided on a coordinated effort. Lily would pick and hand the plants backward, and Rose would take them from her and place them in the basket. Nothing too complicated, but it simplified the job and the time required.


    At first, Lily was slightly anxious about sticking her head into a potentially dark hole as she knew her body would block out most of the sunlight. However, when she did indeed block the sunlight, some of the mushrooms a little deeper in the hole revealed themselves to be softly glowing. Lily was mesmerized, and it only solidified the idea that plants were magical in her mind.


    Lily picked at least two of everything while carefully following Osmin''s advice to leave enough behind. She also didn''t want to crawl too deep into the hole, concerned about getting stuck; that would be far too embarrassing!


    "I think this is enough, Lily," Rose said.


    "Okay!" Lily shouted back and began to crawl in reverse.


    Rose helped her get to her feet and began dusting her off, even wiping the dirt off her face with a handkerchief.


    "Well. I''d say that''s more than enough for one day." Rose said, pointing to the full basket.


    "Yes! Thank you for the help, Rose!" Lily said joyously.


    "My pleasure. Let''s head home," Rose said, carefully placing the hat on Lily''s head, with careful attention to her ears this time.


    Lily reached for the basket, but Rose insisted on carrying it for her. While Lily didn''t seem any worse for wear, Rose was worried that today''s activities might exacerbate her sickly condition.


    Rose also fully unfolded her now dirtied handkerchief and used it to partially cover the basket''s contents. If Osmin was to be believed about their worth, she didn''t want to tempt anyone''s greed. They certainly looked strange and unlike any plants she had seen before.


    "Promise me you won''t eat the plants," Rose suddenly said.


    "I''m not going to eat them," Lily pouted. "They are for magic ink!"


    Rose nodded, feeling a little relieved. The plants might be poisonous, and she had no idea what ideas were flowing in that silly head of hers. Rose was already uneasy about the inevitable aftermath of Lily''s magic plan failing and didn''t want to add accidental poisoning to her concerns.


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!" A hoarse, screeching noise echoed out.

 Chapter 9 - Danger

    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    Both girls flinched, their hearts pounding in their chests, their fear palpable as they looked around in panic at the sudden screeching.


    Something large swooped down and clutched at Lily''s head, lifting her a few feet off the ground before she abruptly fell, tumbling to the ground. The winged creature had grasped her hat with its talons, causing Lily to slip out to relative safety.


    "Lily!" Rose screamed in rage as she dropped the basket and ran, her protective instinct overriding her fear as she put herself directly between Lily and the flying monster.


    While ascending, the giant bird monster realized it had lost its prey and flicked its talons, releasing the hat.


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    It would make another attempt, but Rose refused to allow that. Rose saw red; unbeknownst to her, her eyes had become cold and reptilian. She growled in rage, a deep and guttural rumbling from deep within.


    Driven by a deep and instinctual feeling, she tried to shout, to expel all the boiling fury that had built inside her. She gave in to those emotions, and a torrent of flame erupted when she opened her mouth.


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    The conflagration erupted into the sky, exploding outwards like a blossoming flower and utterly engulfing the monster. Rose was panting, utterly unsure of what had happened. She felt drained and on the verge of collapsing. Instead of seeing red, now the world around her was becoming dark. She had been so focused on that monster she hadn''t even noticed the second screech.


    Lily had recovered from her tumble while all of this was happening. She frantically looked around and saw Rose protectively standing over her, like a gallant and stalwart knight standing guard over their charge. No, like a wrathful dragon defending her clutch.


    Whether it was due to her more sensitive ears or by chance, Lily did notice the second screech. She could tell it wasn''t coming from the direction Rose protected her from and turned just in time to see a second one about to begin its stoop.


    Lily''s breath and heart felt like they had stopped. Dread gripped her, and she wanted to cry out for help. As if it called to her, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and tore it.


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    The second bird focused on the small, helpless bunny girl in its dive. It hadn''t even noticed its mate''s untimely demise happening at the same time.


    Despite being folded and torn, the piece of paper released a soft glow and accompanying thrum. If you had blinked, you would have missed it, but the magical inscription had briefly apparated in full from the hastily disintegrating remains of the torn page.


    An invisible membrane instantly formed around Lily, like an all-encompassing protection. Neither the bird monster nor Lily could see its instantaneous construction or current existence, but Lily suddenly felt unassailable.


    Crunch.


    A horrified noise of the bird monster hitting the unseen barrier rang out. Lily briefly saw a flash of what looked like a glowing sphere of honeycombs before the bird monster''s body was flung backward and collapsed lifelessly to the ground.


    Besides Rose''s heavy panting and light snarls from behind Lily, the only noise within the vicinity was the soft sound of something cracking, like the surface of a frozen lake thawing. A few breaths later, Lily momentarily saw the honeycomb sphere fall apart like shattering glass.


    As if the rest of the world suddenly reappeared, Lily heard shouting voices approaching.


    "Hey!"


    "Are you two okay!?"


    "Bloody dire hawks!"


    "Gods, did you see that flame!?"


    Lily turned to the source of the clamor and saw all of the guards running towards them, looking extremely frantic and worried. Osmin was with them.


    "Wh-wha?" Rose stammered, sounding almost like she was asphyxiating.


    Then she started violently coughing. Lily rushed to her side and frantically rubbed Rose''s back, hoping it would help. Her coughing eventually eased up, and she glanced at Lily. Relief flooded Rose''s eyes when she saw the girl was seemingly unharmed.


    Osmin was the first to arrive and urgently looked over the two girls. "Oh, thank the gods, I''m so glad you are both alright."


    "More than alright, I''d say." One of the other guards said with a chuckle. "Killed two damn dire hawks by herself!"


    "Two?" Rose asked, looking woozy and unsteady. Lily was holding onto her tightly.


    "Dire hawks always hunt in pairs. You roasted one, and the other somehow looks even worse." The guard answered, pointing to the second corpse while shaking his head and chuckling at how unbelievable this was.


    Rose looked at the second bird and flinched. It looked beyond mangled, its head completely caved in and multiple protruding bones. Lily clutched tightly at her side. Rose blinked rapidly as if not believing her eyes, then gave Lily a reassuring pat on the head.


    "I-I''m not sure..." Rose muttered.


    "Adrenaline and instincts. You''d make a fantastic adventurer." The guard continued.


    "Ease off the girl, Quin," Osmin scolded.


    "What? I''d like to see you kill two dire hawks so easily," Quin responded. "Man... I wish I was born a Dragia."


    The monster''s corpse stirred. Its body was beginning to blacken. When the black portions darkened enough, parts began to break into masses of small flakes that softly floated into the air before dissolving.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Lily gasped at the sight of it slowly disappearing before her very eyes.


    "First time seeing a monster die?" Osmin asked.


    Lily nodded meekly.


    "They all do that. No need to worry." Osmin answered. "I''ll escort you two home."


    "Thanks..." Rose mumbled.


    Lily silently nodded.


    "Quin, help me quickly get all these plants back in the basket for them," Osmin said as he briskly walked over to the toppled-over basket.


    "Oh, man... Plant gathering for Auntie Camilla," Quin responded. "That certainly brings me back."


    The basket was full again in no time. Osmin held it for them while escorting them back to the city. The rest of the guards stayed back, occasionally poking the corpse with curiosity or boredom.


    "Still... I thought dire hawks didn''t attack people?" Lily overheard one of them muttering.


    "That bunny is so small, I bet the hawks thought she was a critter," Quin responded.


    Lily''s ears drooped, unable to hide her conflicted feelings from overhearing that. It was all her fault.


    Rose and Lily held hands the entire way to the city and back to the orphanage. Osmin tried to reassure them, but Lily remained silent while Rose occasionally muttered to herself. Two kids being escorted by the city guard was a sight for nosey city folk, and there were some whispers about naughty kids until Osmin glared them away.


    Moments after arriving at the orphanage, one of the staff members arrived.


    "Ah. Miss Margit, it''s good to see you again." Osmin said cheerfully.


    Margit blinked a few times until her apparent recollection. "Oz?"


    "In the flesh," Osmin grinned happily. "Glad to see you''re still working with the orphanage."


    "It''s good to see you again," Margit said with a soft smile until her gaze turned to the two girls. "Please don''t tell me these two have caused trouble."


    "No, ma''am," Osmin denied the accusation. "They were on their best behavior in the safe area and always stuck close to the city. Two dire hawks attacked them while they were on the way home."


    "Dire hawks!?" Margit gasped.


    "Afraid so. Luckily, Rose here defeated both of them," Osmin explained. "She''s a real hero."


    Margit sighed with relief. "Good. Thank you for bringing them home, Oz."


    "Anytime, they''re good kids, and it really wasn''t their fault," Osmin replied. He leaned down and gave Lily back her basket.


    Lily opened her mouth to say thanks, but no words came out. Instead, she just nodded. Osmin smiled in response and waved goodbye.


    Margit sighed again and shook her head. "Come, let''s get you two inside. You both need a relaxing bath and some food. We can discuss what happened tomorrow."


    "I just want to collapse into bed..." Rose eventually mumbled.


    Rose looked absolutely drained, like she hadn''t slept for days and then ran a marathon. By comparison, aside from the dirt and some negligible scrapes, Lily looked healthy.


    "Not filthy and not on an empty stomach," Margit insisted. "Trust me, you''ll thank me in the morning."


    Rose grumbled a nonverbal complaint but nodded.


    When Lily returned to her room, the first thing she did was place the basket in her closet. Then she checked on the book, still undisturbed from where she had left it. Arakil did not respond.


    Lily reached into her pocket and pulled out the remaining page, gently running her fingers along it. Magic, she had cast magic! When she thought that if that hadn''t happened, she might have been injured or far worse, she shuddered.


    She carefully placed the page under her pillow and proceeded to the washroom. After cleaning up, she only managed to force down a light meal as her stomach was in knots. When she finally returned to her room, she promptly collapsed into bed.


    ***


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    Crunch.


    Lily bolted up from her bed, panting and sweating. A nightmare.


    She clutched at her legs in a fetal position as she tried to forget the haunting sounds. Eventually, she fell back asleep, although it was full of fits and moments of briefly waking up.


    Lily struggled to eat at breakfast, and her lack of sleep was extremely apparent. Rose hadn''t come, and Lily wanted to ask but struggled to find the words. She frantically looked around and kept opening her mouth to speak, but the words seemed caught at the back of her throat.


    Thankfully, Margit seemed to understand the girl¡¯s worries and explained that Rose was fast asleep after spending far too much energy. Lily nodded, but it didn''t do much to settle her fears.


    Margit offered for her to take the day off, but Lily shook her head and resumed her classes as normally as she could. Truthfully, she wanted the distraction to stop her thoughts from wandering.


    After a bath and dinner, Lily returned to her room. Arakil still hadn''t awoken, and she was beginning to worry again. To stifle those thoughts, she began practicing the magical drawing that had saved her life.


    Endlessly throughout the night, she drew and drew the same inscription, the same glyphs, over and over again. She only stopped once her hand was beginning to cramp enough to affect her results.


    With extreme reluctance, she went to bed. Tossing and turning restlessly until finally passing out.


    ***


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    Rose bolted up, a rumbling growl rising in her throat. Her bedroom was sweltering, and she threw the covers off as she looked around frantically. This wasn''t her room.


    Before she could question it, her stomach bellowed with pain and hunger. She was absolutely ravenous. That''s when she noticed a small metal table, away from the bed, with a large pitcher and a plate of what looked like meat on the table.


    Rose stumbled to the table as quickly as she could and tore into the meat with her hands and teeth, forgoing the cutlery on the table. She ate and ate, barely taking the time to breathe between bites as she ravaged the food.


    With the meal devoured, Rose let out a smokey belch. Her mind had since cleared up somewhat, and she looked at the strange sight with curiosity and concern.


    She reached for the jug, made of a strange material she didn''t recognize, and chugged the contents¡ªwater. Glorious water. Rose hadn''t realized how parched she had felt, so she greedily glugged down the contents, which seemed to be sizzling as they went down her throat.


    At this point, the door to the room opened, revealing a woman Rose didn''t recognize. After all, she had never seen another Dragia in the city. The unknown woman also had a few scales on her, although instead of red, they almost seemed pink and fleshy.


    Inferior. The word had sprung up from nowhere in Rose''s mind, and she shook her head in confusion.


    "I''m glad to see you''ve woken up and eaten. You must have been famished," The woman spoke.


    "What happened?" Rose asked. "Where''s Lily?"


    The flurry of words had come out like a flood. Rose only noticed after they were spoken that her voice had changed. While her voice was always quite distinct compared to the other girls, now it almost sounded like it caused the air to faintly rumble.


    "Your friend is alive and well. Thanks to you," The woman responded.


    Rose frowned. Had she saved Lily? She vaguely recalled burning one of the bird monsters.


    But there were two! Rose remembered.


    "As for what happened," The woman continued. "I could probably sum it up as puberty."


    "Puberty?" Rose scoffed sarcastically; her new voice made it sound almost threatening.


    "Well. Dragon puberty," The woman quickly added. "Either your parents were extremely powerful to be so close to your bloodline, or they had a deeply dormant heritage that suddenly flared up in you."


    "I want to see Lily," Rose demanded.


    "Not until you learn to control yourself, or you''ll turn her into a grilled rabbit," The woman responded.


    Rose started to growl. She clenched her hands into fists. How dare this woman belittle her sister like that. The temperature in the room seemed to steadily be rising.


    "See!" The woman said. "At the moment, you''re a danger to everyone around you. You need to come to terms with the changes in your body."


    Rose flinched. Then she looked around and saw the effects of the room''s elevated temperature. Then she noticed blood dripping from the palms of her hands; her scaled fingers now had elongated black claws instead of nails, and she had dug straight into her own flesh.


    "What''s happening to me?" Rose asked, a tinge of fear.


    "Like I said... Dragon puberty," The woman said with a sigh.


    "I think I hate it," Rose answered bluntly.


    Surprisingly, the woman actually laughed. "I loathed mine, and I''m nowhere near as close to the blood as you are. I grew a few extra scales. I can only imagine what you''ll go through."


    "I can handle a few extra scales. How much worse can it be?" Rose asked.


    "I''ve heard some grow horns," The woman began answering. "But in the worst cases, some even get a tail, or-"


    "Gods, no!" Rose interrupted. "Anything but a tail! I''ll never be able to wear anything that''s not custom-made again!"


    "-Vestigial wings." The woman finished.


    Rose wished she hadn''t.

 Chapter 10 - Alone

    Arakil stirred and finally began regaining consciousness from his induced meditative slumber. As his mental faculties began recovering, he realized that much longer had passed than he had intended. Either he had miscalculated his recovery time, or something prevented it.


    Did something happen to Lily? He fretted.


    For the first time, Arakil had woken up alone. It starkly contrasted with the usual awakenings when Lily would be engrossed in her writing or drawing. Arakil''s concern for Lily''s well-being grew.


    He quickly scanned the latest content of the book, noting her progress toward drawing the two spell inscriptions. It seemed she had been very busy since they last communicated, and he saw her equal work between both steadily progressing.


    I''m glad to have someone so diligent. One of the reasons I hated taking apprentices in the past was they all expected to become masters at the snap of a finger, refusing to refine and practice.


    Then suddenly, the illustrations changed; Arakil could almost sense the tension within the pages. Lily stopped working on the attack spell and instead solely worked on the shield. While the amount of practice and repetition before was impressive, now it looked almost manic and desperate.


    This confirmed that something had occurred, likely tragic, and while Arakil did feel sympathy for the girl, he was filled with relief that she hadn''t perished. While his bookish form had its limitations, he had some vague recollections of how recent the latest additions to his pages were.


    Now, if only my eye was working... Being trapped in darkness like this isn''t the greatest.


    Repairing and revitalizing the functions he had grown accustomed to were high on his priority list, especially his telepathic function. Being limited to written communication was rapidly becoming quite a hindrance.


    However, the first goal is to solve Lily''s Mana issue. If Lily could generate and spend her Mana, Arakil could scrimp and save his own. Perhaps even siphon some of hers himself through something like a familiar bond.


    I can only presume that one of the seals or something is preventing me from generating my own Mana. Normally, that would never be a problem since I could just use the ambient Mana.


    With his mind, he dove deeper into the grimoire, arriving at a mental construct that somewhat resembled a library. Unfortunately, the entire facility looked dilapidated and abandoned. Books were scattered, shelves were broken, and everything was a mess.


    And to think I spent so long organizing everything in the past...


    He tried picking up one of the scattered books with his avatar in this mental landscape. He picked it up barely a few inches before his form flickered, and the book fell to the ground.


    Insufferable... Not even enough Mana to examine a single book.


    The solution they required was somewhere in this mess. While Arakil could recall a few methods that would most likely be suitable, those all required rare or expensive ingredients, and he had no idea if they even existed in this world.


    No. Arakil needed a solution that required minimal resources and could hopefully be constructed through ritual alone. This also meant that Mana was at an absolute premium. He needed Mana to search for the solution and, in all likelihood, enact it as well.


    I just have to hope that Lily was successful in her gathering.


    With nothing to do, Arakil attempted some more focused meditation as he awaited Lily''s return.


    ***


    Arakil''s trance was interrupted by the sound of the door unlocking. He patiently waited for who he presumed was Lily. He desperately wished his vision was working.


    I should be grateful that my hearing works, for whatever reason, as long as the book is open.


    He was forced to wait, only hearing various shuffling noises around the room. Eventually, he heard the slight creek of the chair, and someone touched his book. When the ink touched his pages, he quickly seized it.


    [Hello. Apologies for extended sleep.]


    "Arakil..." Lily''s voice whispered somberly back.


    That was all she said, but she did provide him with more ink.


    [I misjudged the Mana required. I hope you are alright? How long has it been?]


    "Two weeks..." Lily mumbled back.


    That shocked Arakil. He had estimated four days originally. He was relatively sure he hadn''t overdone the scrolls, which meant that his already slow Mana gathering was subjective to some extreme fluctuations.


    [I''m very sorry. I didn''t plan on being asleep for so long. Were you successful?]


    "I got some plants..." Lily mumbled.


    [Excellent. But what is wrong, Lily? You lack your usual enthusiasm.]


    There was an awkward silence; Arakil was beginning to think Lily wouldn''t answer his question when she finally seemed to force something out.


    "We were attacked. A bird monster. Your magic saved me." Lily began explaining in short bursts. "But something happened to Rose. She hasn''t come back. You were gone. I was all alone."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Lily sounded exhausted. Arakil assumed she was likely plagued with nightmares. He was glad he had the foresight to make those scrolls; who knew this world was so dangerous that picking herbs would lead to an attack?


    [I''m sorry for leaving you alone. Hopefully, I won''t be forced to recover again.]


    Lily mumbled acknowledgement.


    [I''m very impressed with all your inscription practice. You''ve made remarkable progress.]


    "Thanks. It was hard, but I got better," Lily responded, sounding slightly more positive.


    [Well. Let''s have a look at your gatherings, shall we? Perhaps you can inscribe your very own spell?]


    "Yes!" Lily responded and left the chair to go fetch something.


    If a little magic is enough to cheer her up, then our future chances are much more promising.


    When Lily returned, it took some back and forth for Arakil to give her suitable instructions. Once again, he was considerably frustrated at his lack of vision, and he would require Lily to be his eyes in this case.


    Lily was instructed to separate the plants into matching piles and number them. Once that was complete, she would place and squash one of each sample between his covers. Arakil even instructed her to stand on the book to provide some extra crushing weight.


    The process would hopefully be enough for Arakil to extract any Mana within the plant if it had, and possibly even give a loose classification. While Arakil had no way of knowing what these plants may be called now, he was experienced enough with herbalism and alchemy to provide some vague identification.


    The process was slow, aided only by the fact that they weren''t stopping to note down each type between samples. Arakil would give his assessment of the flora at the end.


    The first few were terrible, and Arakil was beginning to dread the plants'' uselessness. While he was all right with the potential setback, he was concerned that Lily wouldn''t easily recover, especially since it had been quite traumatic for her.


    His fears were washed away when the latest herb crushed between his pages turned out to be a mild antidote containing trace amounts of Mana. His pages greedily drained the herb dry, and while it could barely be called a sip, it was still hours'' worth of meditation.


    Lily''s number of pickings was startling; she certainly hadn''t slacked during her outing. Even if the majority seemed mundane, it was still a praiseworthy effort.


    Arakil was also happy to be proven correct in that the plants with medicinal properties contained Mana. Of course, there were exceptions, like a strange root that aided digestion, and one flower held a scant trace of Mana but no herbal or alchemical usage that Arakil could guess.


    Arakil was already trying to make some guesstimates about how many herbs would be required and how long it would take, but all of the calculations were thrown out of the window when a mossy plant was crushed between his pages.


    So much Mana! Arakil gasped in surprise.


    He was awestruck. He felt like a starving man surviving on a few seeds when he was suddenly given an entire fruit! It certainly wasn''t a meal, but the disparity was still staggering. The other plants paled in comparison, and he desperately hoped Lily had more than one.


    When Lily picked up his book and placed him on the desk, he realized they had finally reached the end of the samples. Nothing else came close to the mossy plant, but there were still some surprises from the remainder. Now, they just needed to document his findings.


    [1-3: No use.


    4: Antidote, low Mana.


    5-7: No use.


    8: Digestive aid.


    9: Tiny Mana.


    10-11: Mildly toxic.


    12: Mana Recovery.


    13-14: No use.


    15: Mild Sedative.


    16: Blood congealer, low Mana.


    17: Blood thinner, low Mana.


    18: Toxic, low Mana.


    19: No use.


    20: Mild stimulant.]


    Twenty different types of plants had been smashed between his pages. It was startling; he had no idea where Lily had found such variety in one location. Had she robbed some poor herbalist''s garden?


    [Well done, Lily! This is far more than I expected.]


    "I''m glad..." Lily whispered; she sounded genuinely relieved.


    [Sample 12 alone could save us so much time. Please tell me if there is more?]


    It took Lily a while to respond, probably counting and pinpointing the plant in question. "There''s two more of it. Do you want me to give them to you now?"


    [You can give one. But I''d keep the second so you can recognize it in the future. Is it possible to get more?]


    "Without Rose... I don''t think I can go outside," Lily responded.


    [Understandable. Your safety comes first. Perhaps more could be bought?]


    "I... Maybe?" Lily paused, thinking. "But I don''t really have money... Maybe I could ask some of the other kids to pick for me?"


    [You could potentially sell or trade some other useful plants. A herbalist, apothecary, or alchemist?]


    "Osmin mentioned an alchemist to sell to..." Lily tried to remember the name one of the other guards had blurted out. "Carmin? Cathy? Callie?"


    [Well, that''s good news. I''d say sell everything except 9 and 18. Maybe even explain the uses I''ve listed, get a good deal?]


    "Okay... Are you sure, though?" Lily asked hesitantly. "Don''t we need it?"


    [If you can get even one more of the mossy 12, it would be worth the entire lot.]


    Lily couldn''t help but gasp. That sounded too good to be true.


    "I''ll have to ask Margit for help. Since I still don''t know where Rose is," Lily mumbled the last bit.


    [Good. There''s safety in numbers.]


    "So, try to sell everything and buy more of this mossy plant if possible?" Lily repeated the instructions. "Anything else?"


    [Maybe you can ask about a part-time job?]


    "Why?" Lily asked, clearly confused. "I want to learn magic, not potions."


    [At present, I cannot refine plants. An alchemist would likely have the tools to make some Mana-infused ink.]


    "Oh..." Lily replied, now understanding the issue. "So we can''t just cut it up and squash it?"


    [We could, but there would be wastage. Also, there''s a chance your inscription could fail using a subpar medium.]


    "Can''t you just... Do what you did last time?" Lily asked.


    [I could. But didn''t you want to do magic yourself?]


    "Yes!" Lily immediately responded. "Yes, I want to do it myself! I''ve been practicing and practicing."


    [Then we will need the supplies for you to do so.]


    "Okay... I''ll ask," Lily relented.


    They then proceeded to feed the remaining designated plants to his pages. Arakil didn''t know whether to laugh or cry that this small amount of Mana was the most he had ever had since waking up this time. However, when the spare mossy Mana plant was fed to him, he felt triumphant.


    Now I just need to hope that this mossy plant isn''t known to be valuable. I hope Rose returns eventually so that she and Lily can venture out again in case this alchemist idea backfires. Always have backup plans...


    "Did that help?" Lily asked when they were done.


    [Yes. I''ve gained more Mana this evening than since I first woke up.]


    "That''s good. Do spells cost that much Mana?" Lily asked.


    [It varies greatly. Some can cost an astronomical amount. However, I''m saving up to search my archive for a solution.]


    "Will this search really give me Mana?" Lily asked, sounding doubtful. "I''m fine with just using magic paper..."


    Arakil sighed to himself. While she regained some enthusiasm after realizing her harvest was a resounding success, she still seemed to harbor doubts. Teaching her only inscription was an option... But Arakil refused to half-arse anything, and while he didn''t like to leave things up to unknown chance, he resolved his decision.


    [I promise you. We will find a way.]


    It must have been the words Lily needed to hear. Even though he could hear the sound of soft sobbing, it sounded like tears of joy rather than sorrow.


    And I always keep my promises.

 Chapter 11 - Potion Seller

    Now that Arakil was back, Lily''s nightmares faded over time, bringing her a sense of relief and comfort. Once Rose returned, they would likely be gone for good. She only wished the staff would be honest with her and explain why Rose was gone. They made it sound like it was some big secret, and even though they promised she was fine, it still caused doubt to fester.


    The teachers were also grateful that Lily had started participating in class once more rather than working in utter silence. She didn''t admit that she was having nightmares and used missing Rose coupled with feeling ill as her excuse.


    When Lily next saw Margit, she asked if they could visit the alchemist and explained that she wanted to sell the plants they gathered. Margit didn''t seem completely averse to the idea, but what sealed the deal was when Lily used Rose''s absence as the reason for her needing a chaperone.


    True to his word, Arakil also didn''t disappear again. While he said he was meditating to generate more Mana, she could call out his name at any point, and he would promptly respond. For the first few days, Lily made a habit of randomly calling him out for no justified reason just to ensure he was still there.


    Arakil didn''t mind; he figured she needed emotional support, so he used the time to critique her work and offer further advice. He also started giving her a few new glyphs by themselves so that she could learn how to draw them.


    Arakil also eventually managed to coax the full monster story out of Lily. He was quite surprised to hear that the monster''s body began to disappear after death.


    Lily also offhandedly mentioned how Rose claimed adventurers got stronger by defeating monsters, but her disbelief was heavily apparent, and she used herself as an example for the falsehood. Arakil initially had a few suspicions but held them back for now, not wanting to burden her with his postulations.


    In preparation for her visit to the alchemist, Lily had also obtained some parchment scraps and vaguely labeled the plants that Arakil had identified. She also didn''t know the names and simply wrote their apparent usage before neatly placing them in her basket.


    As for the plants Arakil identified as useless, she kept the flowers she deemed pretty enough in a spare vase. The rest were thrown into a pile to show the alchemist, just in case.


    Then she just had to wait for the weekend, when Margit promised to take her. While initially hesitant about Arakil''s suggestion, she now was giddy at the prospect of making her very own magic ink.


    ***


    Heading out into the city again was a strange experience for Lily. She felt Rose should have been there with her, but that wasn''t possible. While getting ready, she also realized she had lost her hat in the chaos with the bird monster.


    Margit was at least diligently chaperoning and holding her hand as she guided her to the storefront. Lily tightly gripped the basket with her free hand as they walked down the moderately busy street.


    Arriving at their destination, Lily examined the fairly large building. A picture sign rather than a shop name displayed a potion bottle and a handful of herbs. While many other city buildings looked renovated, this one still held a rustic charm.


    A bell on the door rang to announce their arrival, causing Lily to jump slightly. Margit smiled reassuringly as they walked towards the counter.


    "Be with you in a minute," an elderly female voice from the backroom announced.


    Either the owner ran the shop solo, or the staff would arrive later, as nobody else was in the building.


    "I''m still surprised you managed to pick so much," Margit whispered to Lily, pointing towards the contents of her basket.


    "Rose helped a lot," Lily answered.


    While they waited, Lily explored the storefront with curious eyes. Bottles were lined up in cabinets and shelves, as were what looked like bundles of dried herbs.


    Although the handwriting was quite terrible, the labels listed their purpose. She noted that some of the plants Arakil had disregarded were labeled for use as tea.


    Eventually, the backdoor opened, and an elderly human woman appeared. Lily was a little surprised. A human was quite a rarity nowadays, as nearly everyone had some latent demi heritage. Or perhaps her parents were both demis of vastly different species, which could sometimes result in a human-looking child with no visible inherited traits.


    "Sorry for the wait. What can I do for you?" The woman politely asked.


    Margit gestured for Lily to state her business. Lily gathered her confidence and cleared her throat before finally speaking.


    "H-hi... My name is Lily. The guard Osmin told me to come sell to you." Lily answered.


    "Osmin?" The woman mumbled.


    "Perhaps you knew him as Oz?" Margit suggested.


    The woman seemed lost in thought and suddenly smiled as if recalling a memory.


    "I think I know exactly who you are talking about!" she said with a smile. "I wondered what had happened to that boy. I had no idea he had joined the city guards. My name is Camilla. It''s nice to meet you, Lily." Camilla replied and tilted her head at Margit.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Margit," Margit replied, looking slightly embarrassed for not introducing herself sooner.


    "Pleased to meet you both," Camilla said with a cheery smile. "So, what brings you to my store? Nothing serious, I hope."


    Margit gave Lily a little nudge to answer.


    "Y-yes, umm..." Lily stuttered. She placed the basket on the table. "I have these to sell or maybe trade for another herb."


    The woman smiled until Lily offered a trade. Then, her face became one of intrigue. It was a peculiar request from a child she had assumed wanted to earn some money to buy something nice for herself.


    "Trade, you say?" The lady asked, scratching her wrinkled chin. "What herb are you looking for?"


    Lily nodded and reached into her pocket, where she had kept the mossy herb in a folded handkerchief. She presented it gently to the woman.


    "I''m looking for more of these," Lily answered.


    "Oh? Are you suffering from headaches?" The woman asked curiously.


    Lily started stuttering and stumbling; she wasn''t exactly sure how to answer that question.


    "N-not exactly... Umm... I also wanted to maybe ask about a part-time job." Lily mumbled in response.


    "Oh? You seem a little young to start looking into tinctures or potions." Camilla asked quizzically.


    "We do start the children at a young age at the orphanage for their career options," Margit interjected. "However, Lily is actually older than she looks and is of apprenticeship age."


    "Ah... My apologies," Camilla said, giving Lily a curious glance. "I''m certainly not opposed to an apprentice or helper. Can you tell me a little about yourself?"


    "I can read and write," Lily answered confidently. "I can also do some scribe work."


    "Basic bookkeeping as well," Margit added. "Although she hates it, she''s often top of her class when it comes to numbers."


    "Right... Math," Lily mumbled.


    Margit and Camilla both held back a soft chuckle at Lily''s attitude.


    "Well, I could certainly use someone to rewrite my labels for me. Old age has rapidly ruined my handwriting," Camilla responded. "While my mind is still sharp enough for my bookkeeping, it''s also suffered in readability. But... Why get into herbalism? There are probably much nicer stores you could work for or even a minor noble."


    "Umm... I know a little about herbs," Lily answered. "I want to learn how to prepare mixtures. It seems interesting."


    "Really now? You know a bit about herbs?" Camilla questioned.


    "Y-yes..." Lily stammered out. She pulled out some of the herbs from her basket and pointed to the little label she had written herself.


    "I labeled them..." Lily whispered shyly.


    Camilla looked surprised and impressed, while Margit seemed utterly confused; Lily had not mentioned this beforehand.


    "Well, now... Today is just full of surprises; let''s see what you have here..." Camilla responded.


    Camilla reached down for a pair of spectacles that were hanging from a somewhat gaudy chain around her neck. After adjusting them on the bridge of her nose, she started looking in the basket and reading the labels Lily had made.


    "Hmm... Interesting... Yes..." Camilla muttered to herself as she read and inspected. "Digestion...? Huh... I suppose that would help. Hmm..."


    Margit desperately wanted to question Lily but managed to restrain herself. She did not want to ruin her chance at a possible apprenticeship. At first, she thought the girl was perhaps exaggerating, as kids often tended to do. But now, Camilla''s earnest and real effort to examine Lily''s notes forced her to reevaluate that assessment.


    On the other hand, Lily was extremely nervous; she felt like she was sweating buckets. While she wanted to claim unwavering confidence in Arakil''s evaluation, he had written off some of the plants that were clearly being sold here.


    After a tense few moments, Camilla finally finished looking over everything. After removing her spectacles, she gave a very motherly smile.


    "Honestly, well done. I''m extremely impressed," Camilla responded. "When would you like to start?"


    "Really?" Lily asked,


    "Of course, dear. I''m a very serious person." Camilla replied.


    "Umm..." Lily tried to respond but wasn''t sure how to answer. She turned to Margit for guidance.


    "Well, if Lily has no complaints, we can swap her to all morning lessons, which leaves her afternoons open," Margit answered. "Otherwise, her weekends are up for grabs."


    "Weekends are mornings only. I have a personal life to take care of," Camilla clarified.


    "Umm... I''m fine with anything," Lily answered.


    "Wonderful," Camilla said cheerfully.


    "I''ll let your teachers know to move you to morning classes," Margit replied. "I''m sure between myself and the other staff, we can sort out your escort."


    "If someone can drop her off, I don''t mind escorting her back home," Camilla clarified. "My route home is pretty close to the orphanage."


    "That would be greatly appreciated, Miss Camilla," Margit said happily.


    "Thank you, Miss Camilla," Lily quickly added.


    "No trouble at all," Camilla giggled. "I''m getting a very diligent student by the sounds of things. In fact, what do you say about staying behind and having a small lesson today?"


    Lily turned to look at Margit, who gave an affirming nod.


    "Yes, I''d like that," Lily replied.


    "Excellent, I''ll bring her home mid-afternoon?" Camilla asked Margit.


    "Yes. Thank you once again, Miss Camilla." Margit said, giving a very minor bow.


    "Bye, Margit. Thanks for bringing me over," Lily responded.


    "You''re welcome, Lily. Be on your best behavior," Margit said with a smile.


    "I will!" Lily promised.


    Once Margit left, Camilla fetched a tall stool for Lily. Then, they sat at the counter with the herb basket between them.


    "So... Before we begin. Do you mind telling me why you''re after Fairymoss?" Camilla asked. "You said you weren''t suffering from headaches, which is its main usage."


    "I... Uhh..." Lily started stammering. She wasn''t expecting to be put on the spot like that.


    Camilla didn''t say anything beyond humming and clearly waiting for Lily to give some response.


    "I... I was told it''s valuable," Lily finally answered.


    "Oh? Interesting..." Camilla responded, a tiny grin forming on her face. "Because its market price would very much contradict you. There are several effective methods to cure a headache, after all."


    Lily was rapidly losing her nerves; her skin felt clammy and uncomfortable. She kept mumbling and fidgeting with her hands, trying to figure out how to answer.


    Camilla eventually gave a smile. "Of course, that''s only true if you''re a demi."


    "Wh-what?" Lily blurted out.


    "Demis. Demihumans," Camilla elaborated. She poked one of Lily''s rabbit ears, causing it to flinch along with its owner. "Like yourself, my dear."


    "N-no... I mean..." Lily started trying to explain.


    "I get the vague feeling you loosely understand what I''m talking about," Camilla said with an almost predatory grin. "Especially with some of the relatively obscure usages you listed for the other herbs you brought."


    "I-I don''t-" Lily began to stammer in protest.


    Camilla held out a single finger, indicating Lily to hush and listen. "So I''ll quit beating around the bush and tell you. It indeed clears a headache for demis; I''ll also add that it is very effective in that regard."


    Lily found herself gulping while Camilla paused for dramatic effect.


    "But in humans, this herb doesn''t just help with a little migraine. No... in humans, this herb also recovers Mana," Camilla said with a knowing smirk.


    Lily felt her jaw shut tight as she uncomfortably adjusted herself on her stool. When Camilla mentioned Mana, her eyes couldn''t help but widen in shock and surprise.


    "So, my dear. What is a cute little bunny like you looking for a herb with such an unorthodox and remarkably unrecognized usage?" Camilla asked while she raised an eyebrow.


    Then, as if she had all the time in the world to wait, she politely folded her hands in her lap. It looked like Lily wouldn''t get out of trying to dodge this question. Lily''s mind began to race as she tried to figure out how to answer the question without revealing Arakil''s existence.

 Chapter 12 - Second Apprenticeship

    Lily found herself buckling under the pressure and wishing she was anywhere but here right now. She needed a good excuse that wouldn''t reveal Arakil, but she felt she was grasping at straws.


    "I want to use it to make ink!" Lily eventually blurted out. It was a shot in the dark, a little truth to hide the full answer.


    "Oh?" Camilla replied, her eyes widening in genuine surprise. Rather than further questioning, she paused and seemed deep in thought.


    Did she buy it? Lily wondered and hoped.


    The wait felt like an eternity for Lily, and she began weighing her options. Should she run away? Make up some lie? Thankfully, she didn''t need to resort to either of those, as Camilla actually smiled and let out a small, soft chuckle.


    "Fascinating!" Camilla proclaimed.


    Lily swallowed a mouthful of nothing, her throat feeling like sand, before replying. "Fascinating?"


    "Yes. Truly fascinating," Camilla repeated. "I originally suspected you''d gotten into trouble like some wizard dropout had bribed you. But to think you wanted to make ink. Well, that truly changes things."


    "It does?" Lily asked nervously.


    "Quite. I''d need to consult one of my old books, but I vaguely recall plants comparable to Fairymoss being used for such things," Camilla paused to think, then continued. "Actually... I think it was in one of my history books; I don''t think the practice has been used for a century at least."


    "Why''s that?" Lily asked inquisitively. Abruptly realizing she was over-eager, she hastily closed her mouth, causing her teeth to clink.


    "Good! I like curious students," Camilla praised, to Lily''s surprise. "The answer, of course, is blood! Why go through all that effort of refining plants to make an inferior product, especially one not keyed to the owner."


    "Sorry... I don''t think I understand," Lily interrupted to ask her question. "What do you mean by keyed?"


    "Oh? Was I wrong with my theory?" Camilla asked rhetorically, tapping her finger against her lip. "I thought for sure you were trying to make glyph ink."


    Lily gulped. And if that wasn''t bad enough, her shocked face further betrayed her.


    Camilla smiled. "So I was right."


    "Uhh... Umm..." Lily stammered, trying to think of an excuse.


    "Stop fretting your adorable little head off, girl; I don''t see what you''re so scared of," Camilla responded, wagging a finger. "At least now I actually know you''re genuine with your interest here, and I know what areas to focus on."


    "Y-you mean you''ll still teach me?" Lily asked, dumbfounded.


    "Of course. Did I ever say otherwise?" Camilla asked, looking taken aback. "I apologize if I accidentally gave you that impression. I have no reason to turn down a proven hard worker and someone with a thirst for knowledge. Assuming you do still want to work for this crazy old lady?"


    "Y-yes!" Lily stammered out while nodding, her ears flopping wildly.


    "Good. Because I genuinely need someone to replace my labels, and I''m very impressed with your penmanship," Camilla praised, then, having a sudden epiphany, continued talking. "I suppose that''s why your handwriting is so neat... You were practicing glyphs while doing scribe work... Clever..."


    Lily wasn''t sure whether to confirm or deny that and instead chose to remain silent.


    "Now, I''m more than happy to teach you basic apothecary work, including processing ingredients, and I''ll even scour through my book collection to see if I can find any notes on glyph ink. But I can''t and won''t help you with any glyph business."


    "Is it forbidden?" Lily asked.


    "Heavens no. I just have no clue or interest in it," Camilla answered; the bluntness of her response caught Lily off guard.


    "Oh."


    "I never liked working with blood. I practically failed the class because of that," Camilla chuckled at her own expense. "Although I will say, while I find your enthusiasm admirable, I wonder if you aren''t setting yourself up for disappointment. Glyph ink was abandoned for a reason."


    "Because it can''t be keyed?" Lily asked before quickly adding. "Whatever that is..."


    "Ah. You did ask previously, and I skipped over answering in my excitement," Camilla said somewhat sheepishly. "It means only the blood''s owner can use it. You make a glyph from your blood; only you can activate or use it. Imagine stealing someone''s sword and using it against them. Now imagine the same sword, but only the owner can remove the blade from the sheath."


    Lily nodded. "I see. And magic would make that dangerous."


    "Precisely. But if that was not enough, blood is just far more potent. I''d bet one or two drops of blood mixed into any regular ink would probably outdo this entire herb," Camilla answered, pointing at the Fairymoss.


    "Oh... But what about the demis who don''t have Mana?" Lily asked.


    "What about them?" Camilla answered, almost shrugging. "They have powerful bodies; why go against the natural order? A fish doesn''t try to fly. Even if they didn''t want to use their strength to fight, they had plenty of other opportunities. No reason to struggle in vain like that. Why, you''d need to be truly desperate-"The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Lily frowned, looking extremely dejected while Camilla spoke. The gloom festered the deeper Camilla went on her tirade. Lily wasn''t on the verge of tears, but hearing it so bluntly was definitely a gut punch to her self-esteem.


    Camilla thankfully noticed the social queues in time to stop herself; she coughed and cleared her throat before choosing her words.


    "Mmm... Yes. I apologize for... Rambling. But to summarize, glyph ink has its limits, while blood is both superior and easier. I hope that answers the question."


    Lily nodded.


    It''s fine. Arakil promised. She reassured herself.


    "Anyway. It''s looking like I''m not going to have any customers today. So why don''t I close up the shop early, make us some tea, and I''ll give you a small lesson?" Camilla offered, feeling a little guilty.


    Lily nodded. "Yes, please."


    ***


    Despite the initial interrogation and the harsh dose of reality, the rest of Lily''s time with Camilla was surprisingly pleasant. Camilla''s shop must have granted her access to some exquisite teas, as Lily had never tasted any so flavourful and delicious.


    The lesson was just a few basics, mostly a discussion about Lily''s herbs, accompanied by a lesson on properly cleaning them for usage or storage.


    Following that, there was a brief discussion about the various tools, such as the mortar and pestle, and, to Lily''s surprise, various weights and scales. Camilla explained that for the best results, precise measurements were needed to avoid an inferior product or, at worst, a mishap.


    Why does it seem to always lead back to math? Lily grumbled to herself.


    The most interesting tool was a small enchanted box Camilla used to dry herbs expediently. Seeing Lily fascinated with it, Camilla couldn''t help but brag a little about it.


    "I bought this on a whim to replace my old smokebox, and I''ve frankly never looked back ever since!" Camilla boasted. "I bet if I was still using the smokebox, I''d have burnt my shop down; the damn thing was a fire hazard waiting to happen!"


    Unfortunately, Lily didn''t have Mana, so she couldn''t activate the enchanted box herself and had to settle for watching Camilla demonstrate. Even without being able to experience it herself, she was still fascinated by the display, although she was a little disheartened that Camilla couldn''t explain how it worked.


    While Lily would have loved to have discussed converting the Fairymoss into ink, Camilla was truthful in that she would need time to search her books and notes before attempting anything.


    While Fairymoss wasn''t too hard to purchase, Camilla still didn''t want to waste it, and Lily easily agreed. After all, she still needed to procure extras for Arakil to absorb.


    When it came to dealing with Lily''s basket of herbs, she initially asked for them all to be exchanged for Fairymoss. Camilla somewhat agreed, giving her a few but insisting that some be exchanged for coins.


    "What if you need to buy something? Trust me, you''ll be glad to have some savings available to dip into," Camilla reasoned. "At the very least, you''ll probably need to purchase ink."


    Likewise, when the discussion of Lily''s salary came up, Camilla insisted that it be handed with money.


    "I''m not paying someone in herbs; I''ll have the tax officers kicking down my door!" Camilla argued. "If you''re that desperate, you can purchase Fairymoss with your wages afterward. Also, I''ll say this upfront, but there will be some deductions for materials used in your lessons."


    After some convincing, it sounded reasonable to Lily. Camilla even mentioned that her successes could be sold at the store if they met the standards. That offer blew Lily''s mind and brought her some much-needed positivity.


    When it was time to leave, Lily made a small request to stop at a shop on the way home to buy some ink. She had expected to maybe need to beg and plead a bit, but Camilla was more than happy to. After all, she wanted Lily to see the value in money.


    When they reached the orphanage gate, Lily bowed to Camilla. Her hands clutched her basket, which now contained two new ink pots and some Fairymoss, both fresh and dried.


    "Thank you so much, Miss Camilla!" Lily said enthusiastically.


    "You''re welcome, my dear," Camilla responded fondly. "Now run along before you''re late for supper, and don''t stay up too late! I want you fresh for tomorrow''s lessons."


    "Okay, bye-bye!" Lily replied, giving a small wave.


    Camilla reciprocated the wave and slowly continued her walk to her home, chuckling softly to herself about the strange turn of events.


    ***


    [Sounds like a very fortunate encounter, all things considered.]


    "Yes, it must have been my lucky day," Lily responded rather happily.


    Arakil wanted to scoff at that - as a self-proclaimed enemy of luck - but held back.


    Lily had spent quite some time explaining her day''s events and what she had arranged for herself. Honestly, it was far beyond what he could have imagined. While the revelation of glyph ink didn''t surprise him, the fact that it was abandoned did.


    Does nobody fight against fate anymore? If I were a Daoist, I''d be vomiting blood. Arakil thought bitterly.


    Still, I''d certainly say this turn of events was extremely surprising. Perhaps Lily has a good affinity with luck? It''d certainly be an ironic twist of fate for my apprentice to be blessed by fortune. The superstitious do say that rabbits are lucky, or...was that only their feet?


    Arakil was surprised when Lily brought back both fresh and dried Fairymoss, and he had sung her praise for her smart thinking. The difference was thankfully minuscule, so he told her to prioritize drying it in the future in case of a far greater Mana loss due to spoilage.


    I hate the name, though, Fairymoss. He wanted to spit. Why would you name anything useful after those damnable fairies?


    And even though he wanted as much Fairymoss as he could fit between his pages, he also agreed with Camilla''s decision to handle things with money. After all, they might outgrow the plant''s usefulness, and having a reserve of funds has always been practical.


    I miss my dimensional pockets. I want to hope they''ve survived the test of time, but the reality is likely bleak.


    "Do you think Miss Camilla was telling the truth about glyph ink?" Lily asked.


    [Yes. However, I''d say that she could simply be misinformed. Without some at our disposal, it''s impossible to determine. Perhaps they got the formula wrong? Or were their inscriptions shoddy? A few possibilities explain why they chose the path of least resistance instead.]


    "I see... I''m glad," Lily said. Her resolve was moderately refortified.


    [Besides, even in the worst-case scenario where the ink is inadequate, I always intended for this to be an interim solution. While the knowledge of glyphs and inscriptions will forever be valuable, our goal is to grant you Mana.]


    "Yes!" Lily responded, joy evident in her tone.


    Once again, Arakil was glad that it seemed relatively simple to cheer up the girl with the temptations of magic.


    After briefly pausing, Lily asked a question that had been bugging her. "You mention inscriptions, but Rose and Miss Camilla mentioned glyphs. What''s the difference?"


    [I''m glad you asked! While individuals use them interchangeably depending on their nomenclature, the truth of the matter is that a collection of glyphs is called an inscription. The shield inscription I gave you is actually composed of three glyphs.]


    "Really? I thought you said it was a basic shield spell?" Lily asked suspiciously. "Three glyphs doesn''t sound basic..."


    [The first glyph controls the protective shield and is the primary glyph. The second glyph reflects the impact, which can be useful to redirect any explosive force or counter a melee attacker. The third glyph hides the barrier to catch the assailant unexpectedly. Simple and basic, yes?]


    Arakil felt some pride in defending his work, hoping it would put any doubts in Lily''s mind to rest. It was, after all, a rather straightforward inscription with what he would consider the bare minimums.


    Lily didn''t immediately respond, perhaps letting his lesson sink in. However, when she finally did speak up, he wasn''t sure whether to be upset or proud.


    "Does that mean it would be cheaper and simpler if I used only the first glyph?"

 Chapter 13 - Glyphs

    Lily stared at the page in silence. She had thought her question innocent enough, but now Arakil was taking quite a long time to answer.


    The extra two glyphs sounded useful, but if she only needed a shield to protect her, the other two features appeared slightly excessive. It also explained why the dire hawk had become such a tragedy; not only did it impact the shield at such a high speed, but it also received a reflection of the impact.


    "Kee-eeeee-arr!"


    Crunch.


    Lily trembled. While she hadn''t had the nightmare recently, that sound, in particular, was still relatively fresh. She hoped to never see a dire hawk ever again.


    Is there an Aviania demi resembling a hawk? I certainly hope not... Lily wondered to herself.


    [Yes. Using only the glyph alone is a viable option and would reduce costs at the expense of some very beneficial features.]


    Lily smiled, happy that her idea wasn''t foolish.


    "Yes, I think they are very, very good. The reflect glyph probably killed the monster after all," Lily replied. "But until we have more Mana, I think we need to be a little cheap. You were asleep for so long after making that inscription."


    [That is true. The Mana scarcity took even me by surprise. Normally, I''d say that such costs should be refined to perfection, but perhaps some leeway can be given to focus on frugality.]


    "What do you mean?" Lily asked.


    [By perfecting every glyph individually and then perfecting the harmony of the entire inscription, you can drastically improve the spell. Whether that be by minimizing the input required or increasing the resulting output. Every mistake or blemish will affect it, and you will either be forced to accept an inferior outcome or a greater cost to compensate.]


    "I want to learn more about glyphs, then. They sound super important," Lily responded. "I think I''ve gotten really good at drawing your inscription, but I still don''t understand it. I don''t even know which one is the shield glyph."


    [Excellent! Your thirst for knowledge continues to impress me. Now is a suitable time to work on your fundamentals, so you can dive right in once we have some glyph ink. To answer your question about the shield glyph, locate the circle with an upside-down triangle in the center.]


    Lily turned to the page with the protection spell and quickly located what Arakil described as an upside-down triangle, thanks to all her practice and familiarity with it.


    In Lily''s opinion, calling it merely a triangle was quite an understatement, but she supposed it was the easiest way for Arakil to point her in the right direction.


    If Lily had to describe it, she would probably say it was a triangle with legs and wearing a hat due to the extra lines either attached or millimeters from touching the triangle.


    Then, there were all the additional squiggles and shapes around the triangle''s circle as well. She wasn''t entirely sure what they were, but one of them looked vaguely like a stickman being shot with arrows.


    She voiced these thoughts out loud for Arakil to hear before returning to their conversation page and resupplying him with ink.


    [Good. I''m glad you recognized and noted some of its construction. That triangle is known as the crest and indicates the primary purpose of the glyph. Then, the markings surrounding the crest are called sigils, which are instructions for telling the crest how to operate. Putting that all together, you get a glyph.]


    "Okay! I think I understand what you''re saying," Lily replied. She returned to the page and began looking at the glyph again with newfound appreciation.


    "Okay, so this is the crest for a shield." Lily pointed to the triangle.


    Next, she pointed to the stickman. "I want to guess that this stickman tells the shield to protect a person, but I''m not sure what the arrows mean..."


    She also looked at the strange other shapes surrounding the circle. She pointed them out individually before replying. "I''m not sure what these do, but I''m guessing they are more sigils?"


    [Very good. You''re correct in that it instructs the shield to target a person, while the arrows indicate that it must target the spell''s caster specifically. As for the other sigils, they control the shape of the spell, its distance, duration, and so forth.]


    "So if I removed the arrows targeting the person, I could cast the shield on someone else?" Lily asked.


    [Yes, but if you simply remove them, you''d need to touch them with the glyph as it''s being cast. However, you could add two parallel arrows pointing upwards on either side of the stickman to indicate it must target a person in front of you. However, such a sigil can significantly increase the glyph''s overall cost.]


    Lily''s eyes were sparkling with excitement. This sounded so amazing! Just casting a spell was compelling enough already, but if she learned all of this, she could even build her own spell.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Why does it make it cost more? Because of the distance?" Lily asked, her curiosity going wild.


    [Yes. Each sigil drawn influences the cost; some can even reduce the price by applying a limiting factor. If you imagined the shield crest costing 10 Mana, telling it to target only you would reduce it to 8, whereas the touch version would increase it to 11. A directed, ranged targeting of a specific individual is one of the most expensive sigils, increasing the cost of our shield crest to 20.]


    "Amazing! So what if-"


    Lily''s question was interrupted by a banging on her room door. She let out a squeak and nearly jumped out of her skin.


    "Lily! Go to bed!" The muffled voice demanded.


    "Sorry! I will!" Lily replied, feeling quite embarrassed.


    Lily silently waited to hear the footsteps leaving. When it sounded like the coast was clear, she let out a sigh of relief.


    "Sorry Arakil... I better go to bed; we can talk tomorrow."


    [While I applaud your enthusiasm, please do not do it at the expense of your well-being. Sleep is very important for a young one''s growth and allows the mind to recover and digest knowledge. Goodnight, Lily.]


    Now Lily felt doubly as guilty. She hadn''t expected Arakil to also give her a scolding. With great reluctance, she climbed into bed before finally succumbing to sleep.


    ***


    Lily''s next morning ended up being quite the rush, as she had accidentally slept in. This meant that, regrettably, she had no time to prod Arakil for more answers since she had to frantically get ready and nearly ended up skipping over breakfast.


    Thankfully, she didn''t arrive late to Camilla''s shop, although it was a very close call. When they arrived, Camilla presented a short letter detailing what she expected of Lily and her compensation, which she handed to Margit.


    "You''re actually not my first shop assistant, believe it or not," Camilla teased when Lily questioned how she had something prepared so quickly.


    Margit glanced at it briefly, and when she confirmed that everything was above board, she accepted it. The orphanage director would receive and sign it on Lily''s behalf.


    Much to Lily''s regret, Camilla hadn''t found the book she had mentioned yet, so they continued through the basics of identifying some common herbs and remedies. If not for her residual excitement regarding glyphs, crests, and sigils, she might have been more upset.


    Even though Camilla was a qualified alchemist since Lily currently lacked Mana, her lessons could only cover herbalism and apothecary work. Not that she intended to teach someone so young genuine potion making, as that put her at risk of losing her license.


    Unlike the previous day, there were customers this time, and while Camilla dealt with them, Lily was left to fulfill her promised scribe work. Recreating the labels would have been rather fun for her if not for the struggle of trying to decipher the text.


    I hope nobody gets sick if her shaky hands accidentally include some extra portions in her potions.


    When things quietened down, Camilla sought to instruct Lily on properly using the mortar and pestle. Lily was actually a little worried about using it since she was so soft and frail, but Camilla reassured her.


    "Nonsense child, if this old bag of bones can grind up herbs, even you can," Camilla scoffed. "You just need to use the proper technique. Plus, you''ll need it if you ever hope to make that glyph ink."


    That provided Lily with ample motivation, and after some initial guidance and demonstration, she soon found herself actually doing it. While working, Lily had a stray thought she accidentally voiced out loud.


    "I wonder if I could just grind up the Fairymoss and mix it into ink..."


    "Probably," Camilla responded out of nowhere, causing Lily to flinch. "Although I bet it will barely work, if at all. It most likely requires, at minimum, a solvent to dissolve the powdered Fairymoss and perhaps even a catalyst. I understand you''re eager, but trust me, the wait will be worth it."


    As previously discussed, they stopped early in the afternoon. Camilla closed her shop and proceeded to escort Lily back to the orphanage after first checking that she didn''t want to visit a shop. When they reached the orphanage, Lily politely thanked Camilla for her tutelage and for escorting her back home.


    Once the coast was clear, she rushed back to her room, eager to pick up where she had left off with Arakil the night before, but not before giving him some of the powdered Fairymoss she had made and telling him about her day.


    To Lily''s surprise, even the minor processing of the plant had actually increased its efficacy by a fraction¡ªor so Arakil had said. He made sure to request that she grind up any of the plants she planned to bring home with her in the future.


    Arakil also agreed with Camilla and told Lily not to waste the Fairymoss or ink by trying to mix it herself. He explained that if the ink was subpar, there was a considerable risk of it failing altogether, and you did not want that to happen.


    Lily hastily agreed after that forewarning. Just imagining the protection spell failing at the crucial moment when she needed it was more than enough.


    [Besides. I''ve planned my lessons for you, and we will begin familiarizing you with both crests and sigils and their corresponding usage. I plan to give you a batch of one crest and a few compatible sigils so you can learn how to replicate them. When you''ve developed sufficiently, I''ll supply you with the next crest and sigil set.]


    "Yes! Please!" Lily agreed impatiently. "I''m guessing we will start with the shield crest and some sigils that work with it... But what about Glyphs?"


    [Correct. The shield crest is a perfect starting point. As for forming a full glyph, that will be something we work on over time. I''ll be guiding you closely for your first attempt, but after that, I hope you''ll experiment with combinations and designs and present them to me for evaluation.


    Even if you sketch them roughly, with mundane ink or pencil, I should be able to assess and predict the outcome. Creativity and innovation are to be nurtured, and I hope that with each sigil you learn, you''ll begin thinking of how they can be applied to the current crest or even previous crests.]


    Lily was giggling with excitement. It sounded absolutely perfect to her.


    Arakil then instructed her to prepare plenty of ink and numerous pages, as he would provide her with the first batch. Lily grabbed her spare bottles from her cupboard and dutifully got to work, supplying Arakil with the ink he required.


    She honestly loved watching the ink magically move across the pages and was awed by every perfectly drawn crest or sigil. To her surprise, some of the sigils were repeated but at a different size or length. However, as if anticipating her questioning, Arakil put explanations under them and explained the variations and how they functioned.


    In hindsight, her purchase of extra ink was a good move, as they would have run out without it. The ink bottles were practically evaporating between her own practice, Arakil''s talking, and now these detailed illustrations.


    Hours later, after turning many pages and depositing vast amounts of ink, Lily had a handful of pages in her book dedicated to the shield crest and a bunch of sigils with their explanation written below them.


    After cleaning her supplies, she quickly pulled out her pencil and was about to start drawing when her stomach announced its protest.


    "Oh... I should probably go have dinner," Lily said, feeling rather embarrassed. It was already evening and she did not want to get scolded again.

 Chapter 14 - Lessons

    With classes in the mornings, working at the apothecary shop in the afternoons, and learning sigils in the evenings, Lily''s days were jam-packed with activities. Her dedication to her studies was phenomenal, making her a shining example of commitment. Compared to the other children, she was doing enough for two or three combined at minimum.


    Her sedentary nature proved an unexpected boon, as she had little excitement or recreational activities before this. Now, in an odd turn of events, learning all these new things had become her source of entertainment.


    Although the staff were unaware of her evening lessons, they couldn''t help but notice Lily''s sudden drive. They felt a little bad for the girl juggling so much at once, but their admiration for her skills was undeniable. A few days later, she was graduated from her writing class. In all honesty, she could have probably stopped taking those lessons ages ago as her penmanship had surpassed even the teacher''s, thanks to all the practice she was doing with Arakil.


    However, when the offer was made to her, she expressed apprehension rather than excitement, as the lessons were one of her regular sources of ink. Initially, it was suggested that Lily could provide tutoring aid to some of the other children trying to learn the basics in exchange for ink.


    It''s too bad they won''t let me stop taking math...


    The trial run barely lasted a single lesson, as though the children were, in fact, younger than Lily; they were bigger than her, and many of them refused to listen to her instruction or aid someone seemingly so young and small.


    Disheartened but refusing to give up, Lily explained her intentions, although under the guise of her personal improvement and art. While the staff felt sympathetic to her openness, they didn''t want to waste too many resources on someone who was clearly just doing it for fun now. Surprisingly, her teacher proposed a solution: Lily could start doing scribe and copyist work as she was already more than adequate.


    The work of a good scribe could be rather expensive, as the cost of materials was baked into the price, with a bit extra as insurance in case of errors. It was an industry-standard rate, so if Lily was diligent enough, she could recoup the insurance fee and any leftover materials for herself.


    Due to her age and lack of time, she would be limited to only doing a few documents or manuscripts at a time, but her teacher reassured her it would be more than enough to get her foot in the door.


    Lily didn''t mind, as long as it secured her more ink, although she felt guilty that her teacher mistook her for wanting to transcribe an entire book or something similar in the future.


    Sorry... But my heart is set on magic now!


    Likewise, Lily was experiencing a similar ordeal with her herbalist and apothecary lessons, which she found relatively frustrating.


    Camilla knew that Lily wanted to create glyph ink after her interrogation, unlike the staff at the orphanage. Yet despite knowing this, Camilla was teaching her as if she would be an apothecary in the future.


    Lily could admit that some of the lessons would be useful, as anyone could benefit from making something like a healing salve. Still, Camilla was also going too far, covering topics for skincare, rashes, and even foot fungus!


    Camilla was probably setting up Lily for a backup plan when reality came calling, and the flaws of the glyph ink became apparent. She adopted this new attitude after she had located the historical texts she had mentioned and, upon reading them, confirmed that it was abandoned as a practice for very reasonable causes.


    The glyph ink needed consistency, so the preparation was required to be near perfect, or you were putting your life in the hands of chance. Arakil had already mentioned this, so it was no surprise to Lily when Camilla revealed it.


    However, efficacy and scarcity were the primary reasons it was abandoned. In the past, inks were broken into various grades based on the type of plant used to create them. Not all usable plants were equal, and the highest quality also ended up being the rarest.


    If those reasons weren''t enough, the final nail in the coffin was that certain glyphs could only function if high-grade ink was used. Anyone limited to low-grade ink would have to settle with being able to light a candle rather than throwing out a fireball.


    I bet their glyphs were just inefficient. Arakil taught me that you are meant to refine your glyphs to perfection, or maybe they didn''t use enough limiting sigils. Lily thought determinedly.


    Of course, it looked like Fairymoss would only yield low-grade glyph ink, from Camilla''s estimate. The silver lining of this discovery was that Camilla no longer had a reason to potentially withhold the knowledge from Lily, as it was now deemed safe enough. As far as Camilla was concerned, if the girl wanted to struggle to light a candle as a neat party trick, that was her business.


    The only reason they couldn''t make glyph ink now was trying to determine the correct solvent to use. The ones Camilla had on hand that were strong enough to dissolve the plant thoroughly would result in a solution that ate through parchment.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Lily would have been happy to accept that, as she believed Arakil''s pages would withstand it, but Camilla had unfortunately denied her. Her reason was that it would be irresponsible to hand over such a chemical to a child.


    Lily briefly considered trying to steal some herself but realized it would be foolish, especially since she was still early on in her lessons with Arakil. She had also seen Camilla place the order for different solvents, so she knew it was only a matter of time.


    It wasn''t all bad news at the shop. Once Lily finished replacing all the labels, many customers no longer required Camilla''s direct assistance, as Lily went out of her way to list not only the name but also their uses. This led to Camilla having a lot more time to teach her.


    Lily''s glyph lessons with Arakil in the evenings were definitely the highlight of her day. There, she would practice the proper forms as well as their variations.


    At first, she didn''t understand why you would want something to only go 10 meters and not just forward until it hit something, but soon, she was starting to see how the limits would refine the overall glyph.


    Arakil explained his completed shield glyph, which helped paint the picture for her. Theoretically, you could make a giant shield, but that would lower its saturation unless you put in a bunch more Mana. This explained why he set the shield so close to the owner: to minimize the covered area.


    Arakil also explained that the shield crest, in particular, was quite partial to the hexagon shape, so he converted the sphere into one made from interconnecting hexagons. This allowed his glyph to keep the all-encompassing sphere while still receiving the augmentation of a hexagon. There were numerous sigils to change the shape of something, and Lily was very grateful that they often matched the shape.


    As for distance or radius limits, there were various sigils for that function. The most common one looked like a long line between two sticks, and then you placed another stick between them to set the limit.


    When Arakil finally gave her the go-ahead to start trying to make her own glyphs, she dove right in. It felt like building a small puzzle for her, and it rapidly became her favorite activity. Well... With one exception. Circles.


    Circles were an integral part of glyphs, and since your glyph could be at varying sizes, being able to reproduce a circle on demand to match the required size was a necessity. Arakil tried to offer her some finger tricks and hand gestures to practice drawing them, but being limited to explaining through text meant that it was a struggle for poor Lily. Ultimately, she would just endeavor to practice more.


    Between the scribe work and her part-time job at the shop, she was slowly building up a respectable amount of savings. Of course, she spent most of it on her own supplies, and the peak of her expenditure came when she bought herself a new set of pens.


    This was Lily''s routine; she had little time or thought for much else, and so the days went by in a flash.


    ***


    Lily was returning home from the shop. She felt slightly down as their latest attempt to find the right solvent had failed. It had come so close, as they finally found one that dissolved all of the Fairymoss and wasn''t harmful to parchment or paper.


    Then they mixed it into ink, and disaster struck. The solution somehow destroyed all of the pigmentation within the ink and turned it into a crystal-clear liquid. It baffled both of them, and while it would still work in theory, Lily was nowhere near confident enough to draw glyphs blindly.


    Despite its failure, she still took the bottle of liquid home as she figured she could at least feed the solution to Arakil. He was growing more confident in his stored Mana reserves and said they were nearing the point where he could search his archives for a solution.


    If this continues, Arakil will give me Mana before I draw a single working glyph. Lily thought somberly.


    Although then I could probably put my Mana into the ink myself. I don''t want to say I wasted my time working for Camilla as it was interesting, not to mention the money, but not having glyph ink after so long is really upsetting.


    She said her usual goodbyes to Camilla before heading towards her room. She was busy unlocking her room door when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching.


    Before she could turn her head, a vaguely red shape collided with her and nearly knocked the wind right out of her.


    "Lily!" A familiar voice cried.


    "R-Rose...?" Lily managed to struggle out while in a hug that felt like it was squeezing the life right out of her.


    "I finally got to leave and came to see you!" Rose shouted excitedly, her hug now picking Lily off the ground. "But you weren''t here! They said you have a job now! My little sister was growing up without me!"


    "C-Can''t... breathe..." Lily gurgled.


    Rose must have finally realized the situation as she released the hug and placed Lily''s feet back on the ground. Then she started to rub her head and ears softly.


    "Gods, I missed these adorable fluffy ears so much. It was torture!" Rose lamented.


    Lily took her chance to catch her breath while Rose was distracted with her ears. When she had recovered, she finally asked the question that had been bugging her for so long. "Where have you been? They wouldn''t tell me anything!"


    "They had me locked in an estate belonging to some minor noble. Lady Desthu," Rose said in an almost snarling spit. "She was a real piece of work. Wouldn''t even let me write you a letter because she said it would make me lack proper motivation!"


    Lily couldn''t believe her ears. But seeing Rose again, she felt those lost emotions after the incident stirring up again. She practically threw herself at Rose as if fearful she would vanish again.


    "I missed you... So many things happened... The dire hawks... Arakil was asleep... You were missing... I was all alone," Lily mumbled incoherently as she clutched onto Rose''s side to hug her.


    Rose softly returned the hug while gently stroking Lily''s back. "Hey... It''s okay, I''m back now."


    "Mmm," Lily mumbled in acknowledgment.


    They stood there for a while until Lily had recovered. Rose was now a little soggy, and her clothes probably had some bunny snot on them, not that she minded too much.


    "Hey, let''s go into your room and talk about it," Rose suggested. "I want to hear all about your job and what I missed."


    Lily nodded and sniffed. Then, she finished unlocking her door and entered inside. When Rose closed the door behind her, she looked up and down at her curiously.


    Rose was wearing a very long dress, almost down to her ankles, and it seemed far too baggy for her body. She was also wearing a large coat, but it was nowhere near cold enough to need something like that.


    Since when did Rose wear dresses? Lily couldn''t help wondering.


    However, that wasn''t the first question she asked, and instead, Lily couldn''t help blurting out what was immediately on her mind.


    "A-are you taller!?"

 Chapter 15 - Reunion

    Lily continued to stare at Rose, waiting for her to answer. Her arms also appeared to have a few more scales than she could recall, and she could''ve sworn they looked a slightly more vibrant red.


    "Umm... Yes," Rose answered hesitantly. "I had a bit of a growth spurt..."


    "That''s so unfair... I don''t think I''ve grown at all," Lily whined.


    Rose gave Lily a studying glance over before asking a question. "Did nothing change at all after the dire hawks? Even something small?"


    "No...?" Lily answered, then suddenly gasped. "Are you talking about your silly ''monsters making you stronger'' theory? ''Cause I''m the exact same."


    Rose frowned; she hadn''t expected that answer. "... I got stronger from the monsters," she mumbled in response, chewing on her thumb.


    "Really?" Lily asked skeptically. "I don''t believe you."


    Rose walked over to Lily''s bed and partially lifted it with one hand as if to prove herself. "See? Although this isn''t entirely just from the monsters..." She admitted.


    "Uh... What...?" Lily asked, looking flabbergasted. Normally, lifting her bed wouldn''t have been that impressive, except Rose had made it look effortless.


    "I told you. When monsters die, they make you stronger. That''s why they turn into that black stuff and disappear. We were both so close to the monsters dying that I thought it would have affected you, too. Has nothing changed? Anything at all?"


    Lily couldn''t believe it. Was Rose really telling the truth? It seemed so far-fetched. But her serious tone indicated her attitude, not to mention the results...


    "No... Nothing has changed for me at all..." Lily spoke somberly.


    Rose returned the bed to its position and sighed, scratching her head. "That doesn''t make any sense. We were both there; the monsters were strong enough that sharing shouldn''t have mattered... You even killed one!"


    "I... Uhh..." Lily mumbled.


    "Don''t try to hide it." Rose interrupted. "I''ve had plenty of time to think about it. I burnt one. And I''m guessing your magic paper killed the other... Which is shockingly unbelievable. Like that paper is literally blank, and you somehow killed a dire hawk with it!"


    "It''s not blank..." Lily grumbled her complaint.


    "Well... Clearly, since it killed a damn monster bird," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "But it''s blank to me and everyone else. Which is crazy. I didn''t want to believe you, but there''s no other explanation for the second dead bird. Unless it killed itself."


    "It was a shield inscription; it protected me and reflected the impact back to the bird," Lily explained.


    Rose stared at Lily as if she had sprouted a second head. "I have no idea what an inscription is..." She admitted.


    "It''s two or more glyphs working together," Lily explained.


    "Huh..." Rose answered; Lily had said it with such resolve that she couldn''t help but believe the little bunny. "You''ve really been busy while I was gone."


    "Yes... But don''t try to change the subject," Lily pouted. "You said the monsters made you stronger? Did you suck it all up... Or is something wrong with me?"


    "I''m not sure... Maybe I was a gluttonous dragon?" Rose answered with uncertainty. "From what I was told, anyone nearby gets stronger when a monster is killed. It should have affected both of us, but... It''s looking like I got it all."


    "That''s not fair..." Lily whined.


    "I know... But try to look on the bright side; now I can protect you even more!" Rose said excitedly.


    "Mmm..." Lily grumbled. "So, is that why you''re taller? Talk about unfair..."


    Rather than answering immediately, Rose looked extremely embarrassed. "No... It wasn''t the monsters that did that."


    "Then how come?" Lily asked. "Also, do you have more scales? Are they redder? And why are you wearing a dress?"


    Rose''s face became tinted with pinkish-red. She put her face in her palms and groaned with embarrassment. She muttered something inarticulate as an answer.


    "What?" Lily asked, not hearing or understanding her.


    "...Dragon...Puberty..." Rose mumbled, Lily could barely make out the words.


    "That... Huh..." Lily didn''t know how to respond. "Is that because you protected me?"


    Rose nodded. "Lady Desthu said I had an awakening... It can happen to some demihumans with ancient bloodlines. Supposedly, my deadbeat parents might have been someone important or something, not that it stopped them from leaving me behind."


    "Oh... So you awakened to protect me?" Lily asked.


    "Basically... I''m glad it saved you, but still... I could''ve done without some of the consequences..."


    "Being taller is a consequence?" Lily asked skeptically.


    Rose was fidgeting, looking very uncomfortable. "No... Not that... I... Grew a tail."


    "Wait, really? That''s a thing?" Lily asked inquisitively before staring at Rose''s rear. "Is that why you''re wearing a dress to hide it?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Her face, going entirely scarlet with embarrassment, silently answered Lily''s questions. Which was a feat in and of itself, as you wouldn''t think a red dragon could blush.


    It took quite a bit of coaxing, but eventually, she showed Lily. It wasn''t as big as she thought, but Rose said it was still growing, and soon, not even a dress would hide it anymore. Lily found it oddly cute and couldn''t help poking it, causing Rose to twitch uncomfortably.


    I finally have revenge for how much she pokes and prods my ears...


    However, Rose''s story didn''t end there. She revealed two little stubs growing out of her shoulder blades when she removed her coat.


    "Is this... Wings?" Lily asked, dumbfounded.


    "Yes..." Rose admitted reluctantly. "Though they''re vestigial, for now."


    "Does that mean you''ll be able to fly when they grow? Like an Aviania?"


    "Maybe, if they grow big enough..." Rose sighed. "Lady Desthu said it''s rare in Dragia, but she thinks my bloodline is strong enough that it will happen eventually."


    "That''s so cool... And so unfair..." Lily replied, poking her rabbit ears. "I wish I could trade you."


    "I think I''d gladly take you up on that offer if it was possible," Rose admitted. "I''m not looking forward to being unable to wear the clothes I want. Like... If they get bigger, how will I put on any shirts? Will holes work? Will I be forced to wear only backless clothes?"


    Lily giggled. "I still think the possibility of flying is more than worth it. But still, I''m sure even Avianias wear shirts, so there''s got to be a solution for you, too."


    "You''re probably right..." Rose admitted reluctantly. "But still, why did I have to get wings and the tail? One would have been enough."


    "I think the tail is cute," Lily pointed out. "Plus, now you have the full set. Imagine how cool and badass you''ll look as an adventurer when you''re older."


    "Well, not entirely the whole set... I could have gotten horns, too. But yeah, I guess wings and a big tail would look pretty badass with some armor. Assuming I can wear armor," Rose finally agreed. "But enough about me; I want to hear about what you''ve been doing?"


    Lily nodded, and after they both sat down on her bed, she began her explanation, starting with how she met Camilla.


    ***


    "How is your brain not leaking out of your ears?" Rose asked, half joking and impressed. "At least you got out of some of your classes, but I can''t believe you aren''t playing around or something."


    "It''s been fun for me and interesting. There have been ups and downs, but it''s been great to do something for a change," Lily answered. "Miss Camilla is a bit prickly, but she means well. I just wish she would let me take home more of the failed inks..."


    She reached into her basket and pulled out the two bottles of failed ink, although it looked like crystal clear water more than anything else.


    "Hey... Safety first, I''m sure you''ll get there eventually," Rose said reassuringly. "Worst case, I guess you could maybe buy the tools and try to make it yourself?"


    "I don''t think I could hide an entire apothecary set up in my bedroom," Lily giggled. "Plus, I think it''s pretty expensive."


    "Well, we could always go to that little flower pit again and sell those," Rose suggested. "Or if you''re too busy, I could go."


    "That''s a good idea... If I could get more Fairymoss, it''ll help Arakil even if I''m not using it for ink," Lily replied. "And you could sell the rest to buy yourself some new clothes or something."


    "No complaints there... Where is your book?" Rose asked, looking around the room.


    Lily gasped, realizing her mistake. She quickly hopped off the bed, reached under the mattress, and pulled the book out.


    "Sorry for leaving you under there, Arakil," Lily said before placing it on the desk.


    "I still can''t believe you have a talking book, yet you doubted me," Rose complained teasingly. "Can he hear you talk, or must you write to him?"


    "He can hear me but can only write back," Lily answered. "Sometimes, he''s meditating, so he isn''t always listening."


    "I hope he wasn''t listening in on our conversation..." Rose mumbled, looking embarrassed again.


    "We could ask?" Lily suggested, opening her desk drawer and pulling out her inkpot and pen.


    "I guess I should say hello to him eventually," Rose replied. "He did save your life, so I guess I owe him my thanks. Although... You wouldn''t have been out there if not for him."


    "Don''t say that; it''s not his fault," Lily said defensively. "If not for him, I wouldn''t be able to learn magic... I''d be stuck doing nothing but writing or doing math for the rest of my life."


    "Yes, but you''d be safe at least..." Rose complained before sighing, "But I suppose he did have the foresight to give you that paper to protect you. Anyway, wake him up and introduce me."


    Lily nodded and opened the inkpot. "Hey, Arakil, are you awake? Did you hear what we were talking about?" She asked before dipping the pen and placing it on the page. Like all times before, it sucked up the ink and began writing on the page.


    [Greetings. I only ceased my meditation when you mentioned my name, so forgive me if I was supposed to be paying attention to your earlier conversation.]


    "The ink all disappeared!" Rose exclaimed in surprise. From her perspective, a huge ink stain appeared and suddenly vanished.


    "Arakil uses it to write," Lily explained. "Although I guess you can''t see his writing... That''s so weird. Anyway, Arakil, Rose wants to meet you. Also, I got two bottles of failed glyph ink¡­might that work for you?"


    [Hello Rose. Thank you for being Lily''s stalwart protector and companion. As for the ink, you should be able to just pour it within my pages.]


    "What did he say?" Rose asked.


    Lily giggled. "He said hello and thanks for being my friend and defender."


    "Well! It''s a big sister''s duty after all," Rose stated matter of factly.


    Lily giggled again, carefully opening one of the bottles and pouring it slowly over the pages. Even though Arakil had been adamant in the past that nothing could ruin the book, it still brought some terror to willingly do something like this as she watched the liquid softly splatter between the page margins.


    Rose was also incredibly curious, and watching the liquid just vanish into the book like some sort of magical sponge was completely unexplainable. She felt like she held her breath until the final drop was poured.


    "Did it work?" Lily asked before placing the inked pen again.


    [Yes! Remarkably so. I''d estimate around a 30% efficacy increase over the powdered form.]


    "That''s really good! I hope you''ll have enough Mana soon!" Lily said excitedly.


    Rose stared at the book and Lily curiously.


    "So... He needs Mana to help you?" Rose asked.


    Lily nodded. "Arakil has an archive, but he needs Mana to access it. If he gets enough, he can search for a solution to give me my personal Mana."


    "What''s the ink for then?" Rose questioned.


    "That''s so I can draw glyphs and eventually inscriptions," Lily explained. "It would let me do magic without my own Mana, although at this rate, he will be successful before Camilla and I finish the glyph ink... But! Arakil says it''s always useful to know!"


    Rose nodded. "My teacher said glyphs are useful, but not everyone learns them..." She paused as if considering something. "How much more Mana does he need?"


    "I''m not sure... I can ask, but we''ve been slowly growing closer," Lily answered. "Arakil meditates all day to collect Mana, then I feed him Fairymoss whenever possible."


    "What if I gave him some Mana? Would that help?" Rose suggested.


    Lily seemed shocked. "Maybe? How would that work?"


    "I could give a little blood?" Rose suggested, almost casually.


    Lily gasped. "No... That''s creepy, Rose."


    "It''s just a little blood; if it helps you, then I''m okay with it," Rose replied. "Can you ask him if it would work?"


    Lily nodded somewhat reluctantly and placed the ink on the page.


    [It''s very plausible it might work. But I''d suggest only a small amount at first. There''s a decent chance the seals in place would not allow such a convenience.]


    "Well?" Rose asked.


    "Arakil says it might work..." Lily began explaining, but before Rose could do anything, she further clarified. "But! He says only try a small amount!"


    Rose nodded. "Sure, no problem."


    Then, almost casually, she ran her nail over a section of unscaled skin on her arm, causing a small cut to form. Lily let out a timid squeak at the sight of the blood as Rose held her arm out over the book, waiting for the blood to drip down onto the pages.

 Chapter 16 - Talks

    "It''s just a little blood... Don''t worry so much, Lily," Rose reassured her. "I did far worse when I accidentally stabbed my palms with my newly grown-out nails."


    "I still don''t like it..." Lily muttered. Although despite her protest, she had to admit that she was hopeful this would work.


    The blood dripped, and time almost stood still for Lily as she held her breath; the red drop splattered against the page. A bright light shone from the entire book, and then abruptly, the blood erupted into a golden flame.


    Both Lily and Rose flinched backward in startlement, with Lily letting out a frightful squeak and nearly falling over herself. They both traded glances at one another and the book.


    "Well... That was unexpected," Rose chuckled.


    "Unexpected!? It exploded!" Lily practically screamed.


    "Do you think it worked?" Rose asked, ignoring Lily''s angry gaze. "I mean, it must have done something to be that flashy, right?"


    "I-I don''t know..." Lily replied before cautiously approaching the book; nothing appeared any different at first glance.


    She dabbed her pen in the inkpot and brought it carefully to the page, slightly fearful of another eruption of flame. When Arakil took hold of the ink as usual, she sighed in relief, even before reading his words.


    [It is as I feared. It looks like the same seals preventing Rose from seeing my text prohibit me from absorbing the Mana from her blood. I hope both of you are alright?]


    "We''re okay; it was just scary," Lily answered Arakil''s question before turning to Rose. "Looks like it didn''t work..."


    "Damn... Why can''t things ever be simple?" Rose asked angrily.


    "I guess it''s back to Fairymoss and ink," Lily responded.


    Rose snapped her fingers. "Can''t I put my blood in your ink?"


    Lily gave a defeated smile. "No... Glyphs drawn in blood only work for the owner. Apparently, it''s one of the many reasons they stopped using plants."


    "Ugh!" Rose exclaimed angrily, in an almost snarl. "So stupid!"


    "Thanks for trying, at least," Lily said, touching Rose''s arm gently. "Is your cut okay?"


    Rose showed her arm, and it looked like the tiny wound had closed up already.


    "How?" Lily asked in astonishment.


    "Part of the awakening package," Rose replied with a snort.


    "Totally unfair... I bet I''d just get some stupid buck teeth or a cottontail," Lily whined.


    "A little fluffy cottontail would be so cute on you!" Rose teased, although she now imagined Lily with the cute addition and giggled to herself.


    Lily grumbled, trying her best to ignore Rose''s teasing, as she pulled out the remaining bottle of failed ink and gently poured it onto the pages. Once the entire concoction had vanished, she returned the pen to the pages.


    "Any idea how much more you''ll need?" Lily asked.


    [I have enough to start a preliminary search through my archives. However, we will likely need more unless luck is on our side. Even if we are lucky, any excess won''t go to waste and will likely be required for our method to grant you Mana.]


    "It''s so frustrating... I feel so close and so far at the same time," Lily groaned.


    "Well... My offer still stands to go get some plants for you," Rose mentioned. "I have some extra classes they want me to take, and I''m also being forced to see Lady Desthu, so I might be limited to the next free day."


    "Why do you keep calling her that?" Lily finally asked; it was bugging her.


    "What do you mean?" Rose asked innocently.


    "You keep emphasizing Lady Desthu," Lily answered.


    "Oh... It''s ''cause she''s got a stick up her butt," Rose answered nonchalantly. "She kept getting upset when I wouldn''t address her properly. Said she was teaching me proper manners and etiquette, but I think she was just on a power trip. If I didn''t follow her instructions properly, she would even shortchange me on my meals."


    "She didn''t feed you properly!?" Lily replied, aghast. "Sounds like a total control freak."


    "Tell me about it! I tried playing her game, and no matter what I did, she wouldn''t let me contact you. It was so frustrating. I wanted to punch her smug face."


    "Well, I''m glad you''re finally back," Lily said, genuinely happy. "The staff were so secretive about it. I kept worrying something really bad had happened."


    "I bet it was her fault," Rose fumed. "Probably gave the staff strict instructions to keep you in the dark. Sick woman."


    "Crazy that she has that kind of power," Lily mentioned curiously. "Like... This isn''t an ordinary orphanage, so it''s not like she could threaten to cut their funding or anything like that."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Rose shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe she lied and said it was for my health? It''s not like the staff here know much about Dragia; we''re pretty rare amongst the demis."


    Lily was about to say something when a grumbling, gurgling sound echoed throughout the room. Lily gave a tiny flinch and looked around for the source, only to see Rose looking notably embarrassed.


    "Sorry... That was my stomach..." Rose admitted, cringing heavily from embarrassment.


    "Oh... We probably got so distracted we nearly missed dinner," Lily said.


    "Another change I haven''t gotten used to... I need so much more food than before," Rose sighed. "At least it''s going to my growth spurt, from what I can tell; otherwise, I''d have to worry about getting fat."


    "Eating food to get taller instead of fatter..." Lily mumbled.


    "Totally unfair!" Rose said at the same time as Lily.


    "Jinx!" Rose said teasingly, giving Lily a small pinch on her arm.


    Lily rubbed her arm and frowned. "Jerk..."


    "I couldn''t resist," Rose teased. "Now, let''s go get some grub!"


    Lily nodded, placing Arakil under the mattress again before leaving with Rose. Ensuring she locked her door behind her.


    "I hope there''s a lot of meat tonight!" Rose said excitedly.


    ***


    Arakil wandered the forsaken halls of his archive, trying to comb through some of the tomes of knowledge using his limited supply of Mana. He would quickly flip through the knowledge with unnatural speed, a mere surface scan of its contents to decide if it was potentially useful or not.


    Any books unrelated to his search topic were quickly discarded to the side; he had neither the resources nor time to correctly catalog anything, for now, despite his mind and emotions begging him to do so.


    "Once I''ve separated the knowledge, I can begin actually exploring for an option," He spoke to himself.


    Even though walking through this mental landscape wasn''t necessary and, in fact, slightly inferior to handling it all mentally, he still partook in it as it was one of the brief moments when he could experience having a body again. In fact, as the master of this illusory domain, he could fashion it and himself to his liking, such as taking on a more mortal appearance from his past.


    The layout of his book''s inner archive had been changing somewhat to suit his tastes. For example, there was a small desk he could sit at that contained a replica of his book on the table. Whenever Lily wrote in the book, it would appear here.


    Likewise, when Lily gave him ink to communicate with, it would appear as if she had gifted him a magical pen, and he would write out his words within the replica. Again, it was totally frivolous, and he could easily do it purely mentally as he had originally, but it was a small enjoyment he could partake in.


    Arakil was quite pleased with the girl''s progress, and he was glad she was like an eager sponge trying to soak in as much understanding as possible.


    It was a pity they couldn''t proceed with more practical lessons until that alchemist finalized the glyph ink. Arakil felt that the lady was perhaps taking too long with her research, delaying it because she feared losing her helpful worker.


    "Well, once Lily has her own Mana, we can likely avoid that method and her entirely," Arakil told himself. "Assuming her starting Mana reserves aren''t absolutely diminutive, then she can imbue her own ink. And even if they are, there are countless meditations and exercises we could work on to progress her."


    He felt a small disappointment growing within, like a stone that slowly grew heavier and heavier with each book he tossed to the side. The quantity of his Mana was too pitiable, even with the Fairymoss, and its refined solution.


    "If only Rose''s blood was serviceable..." Arakil expressed, full of regret. "But those blasted gods, fairies, or devils clearly had the foresight in their latest arrangement to bar me from even that slight convenience."


    When his pile of potential books grew large enough, he finally began to review their contents. Regrettably, most methods that granted or increased someone''s Mana required either extremely valuable resources or a complex processing method¡ªif not both!


    "Even if we could somehow find the skin of a selkie or phoenix tears, would Lily reasonably be able to refine them?" Arakil asked rhetorically. "No... Even if she could persuade Camilla to assist or follow the recipe, I doubt it would be within her capabilities. Which means we need a ritualistic method..."


    Arakil sighed as he collapsed backward into a chair. Rubbing his hands against his face, he pulled downward at his cheeks, stretching his eyelids. He let out a long, exasperated groan.


    "I know for a fact there are necromantic rituals that do that, but there''s no way I could convince Lily," Arakil sighed deeply. "I have to find a solution that can be prepared either by Lily or me, lacks impossibly rare materials, and doesn''t conflict with her morals... Talk about a tall order, especially the latter. I''m frankly astonished that she didn''t kick up more of a fuss regarding the blood."


    Arakil''s self-reflection was interrupted when he heard the sound of someone entering the room. Lily announced her presence. It seemed she was alone this time.


    "Hey, Arakil, I''m back from dinner," Lily said after placing his book on her desk. "I''m just going to do a bit of practice before bed. I''m pooped..."


    Arakil nodded, not that Lily could see, and decided to observe her practice. He often did so, and even if he missed her practice due to a meditative trance, he could always peruse through the work after the fact.


    Lily was at the stage where she could draw four crests: Shield, Light, Water, and Fire. It was remarkably impressive in such a short time. When it came to the accompanying sigils, he had avoided giving her any that could create a potentially dangerous glyph.


    Arakil was concerned that Camilla would ask her to draw something when the glyph ink was finally created. Another possibility was that Lily, in her excitement, might want to try it out posthaste and disregard his warnings.


    "Even if she went straight to Fire. The worst she could do was make a small floating candle with the sigils I gave her," Arakil reassured himself.


    He watched with fascination as she worked. Occasionally speaking aloud, as if providing commentary to himself.


    "That''s a damn fine triangle..." Arakil said proudly.


    "No, no, no... That line needs to be a little bit longer!"


    "Yes, give that one a little hook at the end... Steady... Steady... Perfect!"


    "I''d give that shield crest a perfect mark; the sigils only have tiny imperfections... Perhaps only an 8% loss in efficiency..." He mentally graded her work.


    "Ah! You were so close!" Arakil angrily shouted when Lily failed to recreate a particularly tricky circle due to its abnormal size. "If only I could demonstrate to her... I finally have a student who desires to learn, and I can''t give her suitable instruction! I swear this must be the fault of those damned fairies!"


    When Lily decided to end her practice, she asked Arakil how she had performed. From his limited position, he gave her as thorough a review as possible, pointing out the sigils that required more refinement and then praising her successes appropriately.


    "Thanks, Arakil!" Lily said happily.


    [You''re very welcome, Lily. Well done today, not only for your work but also for acquiring the liquified Fairymoss. I wish you a restful slumber.]


    Arakil wrote in the book.


    "Goodnight. Sweet dreams!" Lily said happily.


    "Sweet dreams..." Arakil said softly, chuckling to himself.


    He gazed at the pile of books. He nodded his head firmly with reaffirmed resolve.


    "Well, that book isn''t going to find itself!" Arakil said with a clap of his hands.

 Chapter 17 - Truth

    Despite Rose being back, Lily''s routine remained relatively the same. Rose was kept rather busy catching up on her missed studies and extra lessons, the content of which she kept a secret. However, they spent all three meals together and the afternoons of their weekends since Camilla still only worked the mornings.


    In the evenings, if Lily was busy with practice or scribe work and Rose wanted to hang out, she would lay on the bed and chat or occasionally watch her work.


    Lily even offered to teach her how to draw glyphs, but to her surprise, Rose refused.


    "Sorry, but there''s no way I''m taking that course when I go to Regarth. It''s far too nerdy... No offense."


    Lily sighed. "You could do such cool inscriptions..."


    "But how much drawing and writing practice would I need?" Rose asked rhetorically. "As impressive as it looks, I''ll stick to standard magic and work on my bloodline. I already want to take the dungeon and monster electives. I dislike studying far too much to take glyphs as well."


    "Electives?" Lily asked curiously.


    "Optional lessons," Rose answered. After a brief pause, she further clarified. "Well... Mostly optional. You must take at least one to go with the standard lessons, and bloodline magic is mandatory at Regarth."


    Lily frowned; she hadn''t known that. "Does that mean even if I get my own magic... I can''t follow you to Regarth?"


    Rose tried her best to hide her emotions. She had been dreading this question. Despite everything Rose had witnessed, she still had doubts that Arakil could truly grant Lily Mana and, thus, natural magic.


    As much as she hated to admit it, she had opinions similar to Camilla''s that Lily would inevitably be limited to performing a few tricks with her magic drawings. No matter how good her illustrations were, they wouldn''t be enough for any magic school, let alone Regarth.


    "Umm... I''m not sure... Bloodline magic is a requirement," Rose answered, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible. "But you could maybe you will have one? I mean... Who knows? No Lagia has ever had Mana before. Or maybe you could trick the examiner?"


    Lily was silent. Eventually, she nodded. "If Arakil teaches me some special magic, I could pretend it''s my bloodline."


    "Yeah! That might work..." Rose fibbed. A little white lie.


    "What do you think, Arakil?" Lily asked.


    [I''m unsure what constitutes bloodline magic now, but choosing a particularly unique form of magic is certainly doable. Can either you or Rose elaborate?]


    "Arakil says unique magic is doable, but he''s not sure what bloodline magic is now," Lily relayed.


    "I can kinda answer that," Rose replied. "It''s a unique form of magic linked to your demi type. As for me, it''s fire, but I think an Aviania''s would be wind."


    "But can''t anyone do fire magic?" Lily asked.


    "Yeah, but not as good as me," Rose replied bluntly. "Sure, anyone can throw a fireball, but I can control the fire like it''s my third arm."


    Rose snapped her fingers, and a little flame flickered into being in the palm of her hand before jumping toward her pinkie finger. It continued to bounce and bob onto her fingers one by one. Lily stared in amazement. The flame tried to make the final jump from index finger to thumb and fumbled, falling to the floor.


    "Damn it!" Rose shouted, embarrassed as she stomped the flame out, which left a tiny black scorch mark on the carpet.


    "I think your third arm needs some work..." Lily murmured.


    "Yeah..." Rose admitted. "But still, I hope you get the point?"


    "It sounds almost like magic stereotypes... Like, of course, the dragon would have fire," Lily responded before giving Arakil some ink to see his response.


    [Interesting. An innate magical predisposition. It certainly does seem somewhat stereotypical in its leaning. You could claim nearly anything if there are no records of any Lagia spellcasters.]


    Lily sounded thrilled as she relayed the information to Rose.


    "I mean... That sounds good, but you''ll need to progress in it faster than normal people, too," Rose expressed her concerns. "That goes for control, also. You might get expelled if you choose water magic and aren''t faster and better than a regular student."


    "I''m sure I''ll be better than regular students with Arakil teaching me," Lily said confidently. "I can also put in a lot more effort."


    Rose wanted to say something but held her tongue. After all, sometimes, effort alone was not enough.


    [I have no doubt that we can overcome any normal students and teachers together. Alternatively, you could pick something unheard of; there are many esoteric forms of magic we could explore.]


    Once again, Lily read the words happily.


    "That..." Rose paused. "Actually, sounds like a really good idea. If it''s something they can''t do, then you''d be the best at it by default. I can ask my teacher more about bloodlines, maybe give you a list of the common ones or something like that."Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Sounds great to me," Lily answered happily. "I''m just glad you aren''t trying to convince me to give up like Miss Camilla..."


    Rose hid her wince. That had been her intention, although with care and kindness rather than blunt honesty. But... It was certainly starting to sound a little more plausible. If the magic was strange enough, then even Regarth might be tempted.


    ***


    Just like that, an entire month had gone by. Even timid and non-confrontational, Lily had begun to lose her patience. Camilla was stalling; she was convinced of it.


    Camilla had continued giving her the occasional liquid solution, but something was always wrong with it in the end, making it unsuitable. While it was still extra Mana for Arakil, it wasn''t good enough as Lily wanted to use magic herself.


    Arakil''s words had rung true, and it seemed he was being very unlucky with the continued search of his archive. He had found some potentially usable solutions with ingredients he presumed might not be too rare if they saved up enough money, but when Lily or Rose had tried to inquire about them, they were met with bewildered stares.


    This meant the Mana they had gathered continued to burn through almost faster than Lily used ink. Rose had even taken the initiative to potentially purchase supplies from a different store so that Camilla wouldn''t know, and they could try creating the glyph ink themselves.


    It was a weekend morning not long before closing time. Lily looked particularly down when Camilla tried to cheer her up with platitudes.


    "Come now, my dear. A happy smile will attract many more customers," Camilla said. "Why ruin your cute face?"


    "Miss Camilla..." Lily began. She swallowed. "I think I want to quit. I''m grateful for the opportunity, but I want to learn magic, not remedies."


    Camilla gave a gentle smile. "We''re trying, my dear... These things take time."


    "No..." Lily shook her head. "I think you''re stalling."


    Camilla sighed. "I should have known this day would come... Especially when your friend started selling to other shops."


    Lily frowned. "How do you know about that?"


    "I''m old, not stupid," Camilla snorted. "Plus, I''m friends or acquaintances with the other shopkeepers. Some of those plants are relatively rare, and they tried to sell them to me at a markup. I asked where they got them, and they said a kid brought them, and unless Oz told some other youngsters about his secret spot, it could only be one of you two."


    "Well..." Lily instinctively began trying to defend herself but then realized it didn''t matter and instead took a different approach. "Anyway, I''ve already bought my own mortar and pestle. I''ll make the glyph ink myself."


    "Lily..." Camilla sighed.


    "I''m sorry, Miss Camilla, but I''ve made up my mind."


    Lily expected Camilla to get angry, but instead, she just looked sad.


    "Okay. I''ll tell you the truth, even if it hurts you," Camilla answered. "I made the glyph ink weeks ago."


    "I knew it!" Lily exclaimed, feeling hurt and betrayed.


    Camilla raised her hand, gesturing for Lily to calm down. "Let me finish, please..." She sighed. "I finished the glyph ink and tried to use some of it with one of the most basic glyphs I know of, and it failed."


    Lily winced, her ears drooping.


    "Fairymoss is just too weak of an ingredient," Camilla stated bluntly. "I tried some other mixtures or adding catalysts, which were the failed ones I gave you, but nothing worked that increased its potency while still being usable as ink."


    "What if your glyph was wrong?" Lily asked, trying to cling to some hope.


    Camilla sighed again. "I thought that might have been possible. I tried the exact same glyph using some of my blood, and it worked perfectly."


    "Can you show it to me?" Lily asked.


    Camilla looked torn. "I really wish you''d just give up on this foolish hope. You''re such a bright girl, and you could easily be an apothecary, a scribe, a researcher, or anything else."


    "Please, can you show it to me," Lily repeated more firmly.


    "Fine," Camilla responded as she went over to flip the sign of her store to indicate it was closed.


    Camilla then left, entering one of the backrooms she used as her private atelier when performing alchemy. Lily seldom stepped foot inside that room, as Camilla had said the recipes were potentially hazardous or noxious for someone as young as Lily.


    After some intense waiting moments, Camilla exited the room holding some sheets of parchment and two bottles, one containing a dark navy ink while the other contained a crimson mixture.


    Camilla placed them on the desk and motioned for Lily to join her. Once Lily was up, she produced two pieces of parchment and gestured at them. Lily looked at both; they each held identical-looking glyphs, the only difference being that one was blackish-red while the other was blackish-blue.


    "This is a very simple fire glyph used in alchemy," Camilla explained. "It produces a small flame of a fixed heat and is wonderful when a recipe requires a very specific level of controlled heat."


    Lily nodded; she recognized nearly every component of the glyph and could likely guess what the unknown sigils did from Camilla''s explanation.


    "Good, now watch," Camilla said as she touched the red glyph.


    The red glyph shone briefly. A tiny, flaming sphere materialized in the center of the page, floating motionlessly at a fixed distance. Lily marveled at it, even if it was a relatively simple spell.


    "As you can see, this one works," Camilla continued.


    Then she reached for the blue glyph and touched it. Like the red one, it shone briefly, but instead of forming a flaming sphere, it merely flashed again and then went entirely dark.


    "And this one, as you can see, doesn''t work," Camilla said. Her stern expression then dropped, and she took on a look of concern. "I''m sorry, Lily... I tried. I ensured the mixture was prepared correctly and tried various catalysts, but nothing changed the result."


    Lily opened her mouth, but Camilla interrupted.


    "You''re probably thinking of other ingredients. I looked into them. But unlike Fairymoss, which nowadays is merely a headache remedy, those are expensive as they still have other uses to this very day. Such as Mana recovery potions that even demis can use."


    Camilla expected Lily to sulk, or cry, or have an outburst. Instead, Lily simply frowned as she stared at the now-blackened glyph.


    "I''m really sorry, Lily... I hoped you''d forget about it eventually, or maybe I''d get lucky and find some catalyst. But you just can''t argue with results this bad..." Camilla said, pointing again to the two glyphs. "And this one is made with my own blood and not even a lot of it."


    The flaming sphere still hovered silently and unmoving.


    "Miss Camilla..." Lily finally said. "I''m not sure how to say this..."


    "Speak your mind, girl," Camilla said. "I''m sure your heart is broken; I can take it."


    Lily nodded, opened her mouth, took a deep breath, and pointed to the glyph.


    "This has got to be the worst glyph I''ve ever seen. I know your handwriting has gotten bad, but these imperfections are simply unacceptable. This is barely a circle," Lily began her tirade.


    Camilla''s eyes went wide. She had definitely not expected this.


    Lily pointed to the red glyph. "I''m shocked this one even functions; your blood must be more potent than you realize to brute force a result through such obvious defects."


    Camilla''s jaw dropped.


    Lily shook her head. "And these sigil choices? Why make the flame a sphere? If you just wanted a heating flame, then fire has much more synergistic shapes. I feel like someone was trying to simply repurpose a fireball spell into a convenient tool rather than making something fit for purpose."


    Camilla blinked in astonishment. She shook her head frantically.


    "Excuse me!?" She exclaimed, interrupting Lily before she continued her rant.

 Chapter 18 - First Glyph

    Lily tilted her head as she looked at Camilla''s surprise.


    "I can explain in more detail, but I think it would be simpler if I just redrew this," Lily said as she pointed to more and more uneven lines and erroneous shapes.


    Camilla was truly taken aback. When she eventually recovered, she simply pushed the bottle containing the blackish-blue liquid and slapped a blank piece of parchment on the table.


    "Be my guest!" Camilla scoffed. While she had asked Lily not to hold back, she would never have guessed that her work would be the point of ridicule.


    With unwavering determination, Lily rushed to her basket to fetch her pen. It was technically her spare pen, relegated to merely writing labels or bookkeeping, as she kept a much nicer one safely in her room.


    Despite her lingering resentment over Camilla''s weeks of secrecy and her disgust over the shoddy penmanship, Lily couldn''t contain her bubbling excitement.


    I''m finally going to draw a glyph!


    After ensuring her pen was up to the task, she finally opened the bottle and dipped it in. Then, she began recreating the glyph she had seen before her.


    Starting with the Fire crest, she ensured no single line went awry. It looked vaguely like three intersecting triangles of increasing sizes, as if they were a visual demonstration of a flame growing. Lily was really grateful that she had become very proficient with triangles, and Arakil routinely praised her for that.


    Once the crest was out of the way, she moved on to the sigils, the order of which was not important. The first thing she did was correct the shaping sigil for a sphere. A cone or diamond shape would work splendidly, but Lily kept it to a simple, tall, triangular pyramid.


    The longer Lily worked, the more bug-eyed Camilla became. She couldn''t believe what she was witnessing. Her education on glyphs was rather subpar, and she''d never seen someone modify one; she always stuck to the textbook examples.


    Next, Lily moved on to the size and distance sigils. She had no complaints about their configuration; they simply had imperfections in the original design that she fixed up. When she was done, only one sigil was left from the original, the only one she didn''t recognize.


    I bet this one controls the temperature. Arakil probably hasn''t taught it to me yet for safety reasons. I don''t want to mess with it and burn myself or the shop down, so I''ll just neaten and clean it up.


    Once she was done, Lily looked at the design. She nodded in satisfaction, and the only thing she could do was complete the final circle.


    "This should work," Lily said to Camilla, who blinked out of her stupor. "We could make it more efficient by adding a time limit sigil. I''m a little surprised it doesn''t have one. If it''s meant to help with alchemy, you could have had strict control over the time without needing to monitor it. Or worry about turning it off when done."


    "You can do that?" Camilla asked in astonishment, feeling a tinge of regret for disregarding glyphs in the past.


    "Yes, it''s pretty simple," Lily answered confidently.


    "Who are you, and what have you done with Lily?" Camilla asked.


    Lily tilted her head in confusion.


    "Sorry... I''m joking. Partially, anyway," Camilla corrected with a slight chuckle. "Don''t add anything like that now; I want to see your claim of getting this to work as is."


    Lily nodded and began the final step. She held her breath as she drew the enclosing circle. She smiled at the result. It was near-perfect, probably barely even 1% of a deficiency.


    I''ve really come a long way with my circles; I''m glad all that practice paid off.


    "It''s done!" Lily said proudly and gently pushed the piece of parchment forward to Camilla.


    Camilla looked at the completed product, feeling quite baffled. It looked more like a work of art than a magical tool.


    "Aren''t you going to activate it?" Camilla asked.


    Lily gave a soft smile before she shook her head. "I don''t have any Mana to activate it."


    Camilla frowned. "Girl, if you need Mana to even activate it, then what was the point of all this?"


    "I haven''t learned activation sigils yet," Lily defended herself. "I could probably draw one right now from a reference, but I''d rather not risk it. The only one I''ve ever seen activates the glyph by breaking it, usually by tearing the page in half. But I''m unsure how that would affect a glyph designed for an ongoing effect, not an instant one."


    Plus, I don''t want to get Arakil mad... He might not teach me if he finds out I skipped ahead and something bad happened.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Oh. Yes..." Camilla responded, looking a little lost. "Activation sigils? Gods, I must have really slacked on my classes to not even know half of what is coming out of your mouth. I''d almost be tempted to say you''re making it all up, but after how perfectly and well-practiced you drew everything, I''d just be lying to save my ego."


    Camilla reached toward the completed glyph. Lily held her breath.


    Please work. Please work. Please work... She chanted in her head as if it was a magic spell.


    The glyph shone briefly. Lily dared not blink. A tiny, flaming pyramid materialized in the center of the page, floating motionlessly. Camilla was left speechless, her eyes widening with disbelief at the successful manifestation of the flame.


    "Yes!" Lily screamed, likely the loudest in her entire life.


    "Well, I''ll be damned..." Camilla replied in astonishment; she picked up her failed example and chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. "So the problem was the user, not the tool... I feel mighty foolish."


    Lily wanted to cry tears of joy but managed to hold them back and instead gave a confident grin full of bravado.


    With a newfound confidence, Lily declared heartily, "I told you I could do it!"


    "Yes, you did..." Camilla replied and then smiled gently. "Congratulations, Lily."


    It was entirely earnest and said with genuine kindness. Camilla had been trying everything and anything to convince Lily to seek out becoming an apothecary instead.


    While Camilla was, in all likelihood, doing it from a position of care and wishing a good outcome for a bright young girl, from Lily''s point of view, she had seen it as antagonism. Seeing her biggest naysayer now congratulating her broke the dam for Lily.


    Camilla let Lily cry her heart out. Merely offering a handkerchief for the snot and a soft pat on the back for reassurance.


    ***


    When Lily finally recovered from her emotional outburst, Camilla handed her a warm cup of tea with plenty of sugar.


    "So, are you going to leave my shop now?" Camilla asked.


    "I''m not sure..." Lily admitted. "I''m probably not good enough to make the glyph ink myself yet."


    Camilla nodded. "Truth be told, I''m actually very interested in what you mentioned earlier."


    Lily tilted her head in question, her ears flopping to the side.


    "About the glyphs with timings and more precise controls," Camilla answered. "If that really is possible, it would simplify a lot of my work. I struggle to make several potions nowadays because I get the timing or temperature wrong. With your help, that could change."


    Lily nodded. "I know the timing glyph for minutes, but I can also look into others."


    "That precise?" Camilla responded in genuine shock.


    "I believe there''s even one for seconds," Lily answered.


    Camilla was genuinely flabbergasted. "Why didn''t I pay more attention in school..." She grumbled.


    "I don''t mind drawing glyphs; it would help my practice. But..." Lily drifted off, staring at the bottle of blackish-blue ink.


    Camilla was perplexed as to why the girl was suddenly so apprehensive. She had practically forced her way into drawing the glyph before, but now she was showing cold feet? It took Camilla a moment for the puzzle pieces to fit together.


    "You''re worried about using up all your ink, right?" Camilla asked with a knowing smile.


    "Yes..." Lily admitted, a small blush of embarrassment crossing her cheeks. "It took so long to get this little bit... I want it for my own practice."


    Camilla laughed. "I wouldn''t dare take away something so valuable from a child. People would call me a witch."


    "But..." Lily mumbled.


    "I''m the one who needs to use the glyphs; therefore, you can draw them using some blood ink," Camilla answered.


    Lily frowned. She really didn''t like the idea of using blood. "But..."


    "Girl, I can''t possibly see what you''re being so uneasy about now," Camilla interrupted. "Do you not want my blood contaminating your pen? I''ll give you one of mine or buy you a new one specifically for this."


    Lily nodded. That was one of the reasons she refused to use Rose''s blood when offered it. If even a trace amount was left behind, it might have contaminated any ink she had used in the future and locked the glyph to Rose.


    The other reason was that Lily didn''t want her first magic experience to be through someone else''s power. Even if she knew she''d been the one to draw it, it still felt like it was from someone else, not her. It was a strange hiccup, but Lily believed she needed to earn it herself.


    Although I guess I''ve done that now... I drew that glyph without a drop of someone''s blood. Lily thought proudly to herself.


    The final reason was that she couldn''t help but feel it was especially creepy. Maybe that was childish since everyone used it commonly, but she disliked the idea.


    Perhaps sensing Lily''s hesitation, Camilla decided to try to sweeten the deal. "Look, until you get good enough to manufacture it yourself, you''ll need me to make the glyph ink, which means buying it. I''ll sell it to you at cost."


    Lily tilted her head. That definitely sounded like a good deal to her. "I don''t want to agree until I can confirm it can be done."


    "Sure, you can think about it," Camilla agreed and then, to further tempt Lily, threw in a little extra. "I''ll also bring you my old alchemy glyph book tomorrow. You can borrow or keep it; maybe you''ll get more use from it than me."


    Lily wasn''t sure how useful that would be; she couldn''t imagine it being even nearly as good as Arakil''s teachings.


    Maybe he will find it interesting? He''s always talking about being unsure of how things have changed since his time. I guess that''s useful?


    Lily decided to nod; being able to buy the glyph ink for cheaper was probably good enough already.


    Camilla was thrilled to get even a partial agreement; some of those potions sold for a pretty penny, and she''d been perturbed by her inability to refine them correctly.


    "I''m still stunned at how much you know about glyphs; where did you even find out all of this?" Camilla asked.


    "I found it in a book," Lily replied.


    "Really? All of this in a book..." Camilla shook her head.


    "It''s a really old book," Lily giggled to herself.


    After that, they ended up closing for the day and cleaning up. Lily made extra sure to carefully put away the glyph ink in her basket. Camilla was going to throw away the failed glyph, but Lily instead asked to take it. She claimed she wanted to see if there was anything similar in her book to better answer Camilla''s request.


    In reality, Lily wanted it to show Arakil, as she doubted she would have been able to easily replicate it after only copying it once. If it did indeed control heat, as she presumed, then it could be vital in learning to create the glyphs Camilla wanted.


    There was a knock at the shop door; Rose had come to fetch her, which was the other change to their routine. Rather than Margit or someone from the orphanage dropping her off, Rose would do it most days; likewise, she would often fetch her, relieving Margit of the duty.


    Lily said farewell to Camilla, who had disappeared into the atelier, and then opened up to her big sister.


    Rose was initially extremely happy to see Lily, but then she noticed her puffy eyes. Lily had clearly been crying. A growl started forming in Rose''s throat before she knew it.


    "What did that hag do!?" She snarled.

 Chapter 19 - Misunderstanding

    Lily was startled by Rose''s sudden hostility.


    "No! Rose, it''s a misunderstanding!" Lily tried to calm her down.


    "The only misunderstanding will be when I put my fist in her wrinkly face," Rose growled.


    Lily threw herself at Rose, tightly hugging her side.


    "It was happy tears! Happy!" Lily attempted to reason with the angry dragon. "I finally got glyph ink! I drew my first spell!"


    Lily pushed against her, trying to stop her from advancing into the building. Then, things suddenly seemed to be getting hotter, and Lily let out a yelp and flinched backward as if she''d touched an open flame.


    Witnessing Lily''s abrupt withdrawal and hearing her yelp was enough to snap Rose out of it.


    "Lily! Are you okay?" Rose exclaimed as she looked towards the small bunny with concern.


    "You were just... Really hot! It felt like a stove..." Lily answered, hesitantly retreating a little more.


    That was enough to immediately dispel any remaining anger, and she rapidly cooled down mentally and physically.


    "Did you say you got the ink?" Rose asked. "And you drew your first glyph!?"


    "Yes!" Lily''s voice was filled with infectious excitement. "I finally got the ink and drew my first glyph!"


    Now that Rose had stopped her advance and cooled down, Lily took the time to pull out the bottle stored safely in her basket. She gleefully showed it off.


    "It''s not much, only one bottle, but she''s promised to make more!" Lily said happily. "I wish you could have seen it, Rose! It was so magical. I mean, I was fixing up the horrible glyph she butchered, and I really wanted to make a star spell or something dazzling, but it worked! I changed the shape from a sphere to a pyramid and-"


    "Woah! Calm down!" Rose said, interrupting the talkative bunny before she passed out. "And that''s wonderful news!"


    "It is. I can finally start doing magic!" Lily said proudly. "But why were you so on edge? You jumped straight to murderous rage in an instant¡­ And that heat?"


    Rose sighed, looking a bit embarrassed. "It''s definitely becoming a bit of an issue ever since my awakening¡­"


    "The heat especially is really concerning," Lily replied.


    "I ran into a dead end trying to get any of the other shops to cooperate. It seems like Camilla really is the best in the city. So, I was already in a bad mood, considering I didn''t want to be the bearer of bad news. Then, the thought of you also having troubles just¡­ Combined and everything got out of hand."


    "I see¡­" Lily mumbled before grabbing Rose''s hand tightly, confident she had gotten her heat under control. "Don''t worry so much, Rose! We''ll get through this."


    Rose gave a happy smile. With the situation successfully defused, they started their journey home.


    ***


    When Lily finally returned to her room, she rushed to tell Arakil the good news. She pulled the book out from under the mattress and placed it carefully on her desk.


    "Arakil! I got some glyph ink! I drew my first glyph!" Lily declared excitedly.


    Her elation was so great that she nearly spilled her normal ink when she supplied it for Arakil to respond.


    [That''s marvelous news! I presume Camilla was indeed holding out on you, and providing an ultimatum forced her to show her hand?]


    Lily nodded and began retelling the events. At the same time, she mentioned the glyph she drew, the unknown sigil, and Camilla''s new proposition.


    [I do think you should consider taking her up on that offer. I know you detest the idea of drawing glyphs that you won''t be able to utilize yourself, in addition to their origin in blood. However, it will be very good practice for you.


    Also, I believe your assessment is correct. That was a sigil that regulates temperature. It is a common sigil when working with crests such as Fire, but I kept it from you as a safety concern. However, I must remove that restriction if you intend to craft glyphs for alchemical purposes.


    Also, I''m very proud of you for restraining yourself. You could have drawn and done the activation sigil yourself, but you held back. Now that we have glyph ink, we must cover activation sigils.


    However, I will point out that even without an activation sigil or direct Mana input, you should be able to activate a glyph by placing a drop of glyph ink on the center crest or, in the case of an inscription, on the primary glyph''s crest.]


    "That would have really been useful to know¡­" Lily mumbled, feeling a little sad that she didn''t get to activate the glyph herself. "Still¡­ I''m glad I don''t need to draw an activation sigil for everything."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    [I think you may live to regret those words when you see how useful activation sigils can be. The ones I put on the two inscriptions I gave you were relatively crude, activating on breaking the circle, but some can be activated under very convenient conditions.]


    Lily tilted her head curiously. "Really? Can you give me some examples?"


    [One of my favorite triggers is when a glyph is placed against a surface, whether a person or object and activates from the applied pressure and contact. Glyphs that use it are often nicknamed ''talismans.'' Of course, you could get even deeper into that, such as glyphs for an air spell that activates when it becomes wet. It''s all about thinking of suitable situations.]


    "I really like the sound of the talisman one!" Lily said happily. "If I used it with a shield glyph, then it''s almost like I''m putting on paper armor!"


    [I thought that one might please you. It is a favorite of many spellcasters, and paper armor is an apt comparison.]


    "So, are you interested in Camilla''s book at all? I don''t know how useful it will be if you already know the temperature sigil¡­"


    [While it might not provide us with new knowledge, it will certainly be a good reference to the current level of glyph knowledge. I suspect it might have deteriorated over time, but the possibility of some hidden gem or new discovery is certainly plausible. That and reading it might give you some ideas on how to make glyph combinations if you critically analyze the provided examples.]


    Lily nodded.


    Over the next thirty minutes, Lily copied out the temperature sigil for Arakil to confirm it was the same as he had known it in the past, and to see if there was not a more suitable one. It did turn out to be the same, so instead, Arakil provided Lily with a reference on how to configure it to either raise or lower the temperature of the connected Fire crest.


    "What''s stopping me from just setting the temperature sigil incredibly low?" Lily asked. "Could I create a cold flame that way?"


    [Good question! Nothing except crest compatibility and Mana abundance prevents you from doing that. There is a remarkable form of magic called coldfire, which burns and freezes adversaries. However, if you merely wanted to create frigid temperatures, you''d be much better off using an Ice crest.]


    "That''s so incredible!" Lily said, eyes sparkling.


    [In the meantime, we should work on your temperature and time-limit sigils. They will be important in completing your tasks safely and adequately for Camilla. Once you have those mastered, we can move on to various activation sigils that could aid in that task, especially if she uses blood ink and it''s as potent as you indicated.]


    "What do you mean? How would giving Camilla activation sigils help her?" Lily asked curiously. She couldn''t see why the old woman needed it when she could just use her Mana.


    [Well, activation sigils can work both ways. There is a sigil that behaves like a switch, so you can turn the glyph on and off when required. However, you''ll already partially accomplish this using a time-limit sigil.


    For example, if Camilla wants the flame to burn for 2 minutes, but her blood ink is potent enough for 10 minutes, she could activate the glyph 5 times before it''s depleted.]


    "No¡­ Not math!" Lily groaned. Arakil had informed her it would someday become important, and she had hoped it would still be further away. "But¡­ That switch sigil definitely sounds cool¡­ Why don''t we start with that?"


    [It''s a rather advanced sigil, so I''d rather you focus on what''s important for now. However, I''d also not like us to show Camilla all our cards yet. It might sour things if you start right out of the gate showing her such amazing glyphs.]


    "Oh, okay¡­" Lily mumbled, not really understanding.


    [I promise I will teach it to you. It would certainly be helpful if you wanted to recreate a lamp or similar. Until we can get you your own Mana, we must be quite creative with activating glyphs. But for now, using a drop of ink on the crest is enough, and I''ll teach you the talisman sigil in a day or two.]


    Lily nodded happily. She was so eager to learn more.


    Arakil drew the rest of the sigils for Lily to study, and then all that remained was attempting to determine how efficacious the glyph ink would be. This meant that Lily had the opportunity to draw her second-ever real glyph!


    "I wonder what I should draw¡­" Lily mumbled. Her first glyph was one for Camilla and to prove herself, but now she wanted one entirely for herself.


    Replacing her lost shield glyph was one idea that immediately sprung to mind, but she was actively avoiding leaving the city for now, so it wasn''t needed. Plus, she wanted to save that for when she learned to make it a talisman.


    Paper armor! She giggled to herself.


    Lily took stock of her other known crests: Light, Water, and Fire. She knew she''d be doing lots of Fire crests for Camilla, so that meant either Light or Water.


    My only idea for Water would be to make a glyph that makes bathwater¡­ While I like the idea, I don''t want my second-ever glyph to be used for creating a bath!


    Perhaps it was a little wasteful, but she decided to make a glyph using the Light crest and make it purely decorative. It would be fun for herself, allow Arakil to sense the amount of Mana, and let Lily show it off to Rose.


    She voiced her idea to Arakil, and he saw no fault in her reasoning. Lily immediately began to sketch out her idea quickly in pencil before she moved to the real thing. She wanted to make a fantastical array of shaped, glowing lights, trying her best to reimagine the beautiful scenery that Arakil had once created for her.


    Unfortunately, Lily was limited to only using one glyph and not a full inscription like Arakil, so it would no doubt be inferior to the majestic scene of that fateful night. But still, she wanted to do it, even if it was a barebones imitation.


    She could combine multiple shaping sigils together to create a complex shape. Instead, Lily used a splitting sigil that evenly divided the resulting effect based on how many branches you drew in the sigil. That way, she could assign each split branch a different shape.


    Lily went with the absolute maximum splits she could reasonably draw - five - and assigned a sphere, two stars, a diamond, and finally, a polyhedron. Likewise, she assigned each shape a different color, one of the first sigils Arakil taught her when he first introduced the Light crest.


    Lily took some time deciding what five colors she wanted to assign to each branch of the glyph to maximize the visual appeal. Sadly, she hadn''t studied something like color theory, so she stuck mostly to bright colors that she was fond of. However, she ensured the two stars were red and pink, respectively. She giggled to herself as she plotted.


    The final step was adding a bit of distance and movement to the shapes, although she gave them all barebones movement to ensure some semblance of simplicity.


    When it was finally done, she asked Arakil if this would work. Nervous that she''d made a mistake somewhere.


    [I see no issues in this draft. Just be warned that it might only manifest briefly with five splits, depending on how effective the ink is.]


    Lily was fine with that. Even if it was a mere few seconds, she would be happy. She was giggling with glee when Arakil continued writing.


    [However, if I can make one suggestion...]


    Lily held her breath. Had she made a mistake?


    [You should make the pink star slightly smaller than the red one.]


    Lily nearly cried with laughter. She had been so worried, and instead, Arakil had seen right through her.


    "Good idea! Thanks, Arakil!" Lily said cheerfully.

 Chapter 20 - Ink

    Lily began precisely drawing out her designed glyph. Although well-practiced with every component, she hesitated to put it all together. Not to mention, she was doing it for real with genuine glyph ink.


    Rather than use her recently bought pen, she continued using her original, as it had already used the glyph ink, and she was perhaps a little paranoid that it would negatively affect it.


    Maybe I should buy myself another pen¡­ Lily considered it as she worked.


    As her pen glided across the page, she began hitting her stride and feeling more and more confident. Her planned pieces were assembled to form the completed picture.


    In what felt like no time, she had completed all the components and now only needed to finalize it. The final circle! Lily held her breath and nodded with confidence. She ensured her pen had enough ink and then made the final singular stroke with a swish of her hand.


    "I did it!" She exclaimed happily as she examined her finished work critically.


    The circle was likely perfect, which she was very proud of. While she could now pick up some minor imperfections in some of her first lines, they were all minor enough to be considered negligible. She took the errors as objective feedback and areas to work on.


    Scared of disturbing the ink or glyph, she used the opposite page to converse with Arakil.


    "How does the glyph look? And also the ink?" Lily asked curiously.


    [While there is room for tiny improvement, I''m extremely impressed with this completed glyph overall. The final circle, in particular, is outstanding.]


    Lily grinned happily, giggling to herself proudly.


    [As for the glyph ink. It is both less than I hoped and yet more than I expected. However, it should suit our purposes as long as we set reasonable limitations and don''t try to do anything overly grandiose. Unfortunately, I do not see us being able to replicate any inscriptions utilizing it.]


    Lily nodded, her ears flopping.


    "That''s good! I don''t mind waiting for inscriptions; I already have so much more to learn and work with on glyphs alone!"


    [That''s a good attitude to have. Hopefully, I''ll find a reasonable solution soon that we can put to use. Also, your glyph is ready, and I suggest pulling the page out. Unlike regular ink, when the final circle is drawn, the entire glyph is finalized instantly.]


    "Okay! Thank you, Arakil!" Lily said as she carefully removed the page. As always, once Arakil allowed a page to be removed, it came out easily, like magic.


    Lily was ecstatic. She wanted to try it right away, but she still needed to invite Rose over and-


    Her stomach growled in protest.


    Food first!


    ***


    During dinner, Lily told Rose to visit her room late at night for a surprise. Rose agreed, and so Lily used the time waiting to do some last-minute transcribing.


    "I don''t even know if I need the money anymore¡­" Lily muttered to herself as she worked. "The extra ink is good, although I''m not sure what to do with all the extra parchment. I get to keep it since it''s part of the waste insurance, but it''s really piling up now. I could sell it, or maybe I''ll just use it for Camilla''s jobs. Even if Arakil has endless pages, I probably shouldn''t reveal that to her¡­"


    Once she was done, she carefully stored the completed manuscript away. Then, she took a hot bath and got into her pajamas while she waited for Rose''s arrival.


    Lily had told Rose to come late so they''d have enough darkness for the presentation. Unlike Arakil''s spell, she couldn''t blanket the room in darkness, so she needed to compromise.


    Rose softly tapped at Lily''s door before tiptoeing in as quietly as possible.


    "Okay¡­ I''m here." Rose whispered. "What do you want to show me?"


    Lily proudly pulled out the page with her completed glyph.


    "My second-ever drawn glyph!" Lily announced.


    "Shh!" Rose said, gesturing with her finger on her lip. "Not so loud¡­"


    "Right¡­ Sorry¡­" Lily apologized sheepishly.


    Rose softly chuckled as she shook her head, finally examining Lily''s drawing. "That looks¡­ Complicated."


    "It''s actually a really simple one. Mostly, it''s just shapes and colors," Lily replied.


    "And it works?" Rose asked.


    "Arakil checked it himself," Lily answered.


    "Okay¡­ So what does it do?"


    "Wait and see," Lily whispered.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Lily gestured for Rose to sit on the bed. After she took her spot, Lily dimmed her lamp until it was barely visible. Finally, she placed the page on the ground in the middle of the room.


    "Okay, once I put a drop of ink on it, it will activate," Lily explained.


    "I hope this isn''t anything dangerous¡­" Rose said cautiously.


    "It''s only a Light crest," Lily scoffed dismissively. "At worst, it might blind someone."


    "I mean¡­ I don''t know about you, but I like my eyes." Rose teased.


    "Temporarily blind someone!" Lily corrected, causing Rose to giggle.


    Grabbing her pen, she dabbed it into the center of the page. It still had some tiny ink remnants from her final circle, and unlike regular ink, it seemed incapable of drying until the sigil was completed. Lily was relieved at not having to waste or wash away the remainder in her pen.


    The glyph began to light up almost immediately with the introduction of additional ink. Lily rushed as fast as her little legs would take her, jumping onto the bed next to Rose to join her in watching the show.


    Rose hummed with awe but then was silenced entirely when the soft glow was soon replaced by five brightly colored objects floating above the page in the room.


    A silvery sphere floated in the center. A blue polyhedron and yellow diamond slowly spun around the sphere. Finally, two stars appeared, stationary but twinkling. One was slightly larger than the other. The somewhat bigger star was red, while the smaller one was adorably pink.


    Rose gasped.


    Lily giggled and felt her eyes moistening.


    I did magic again! I really did it!


    "Lily, this is crazy¡­ What even is this?" Rose asked, flabbergasted.


    "This is magic," Lily said happily. "Glyph magic, and my second ever spell of many. The start of my journey to being the first Lagia Mage."


    Rose had no idea of the scope of this spell. In reality, it was a mere bit of Light magic, but it had a much greater meaning to the two of them. Seeing Lily with such determined belief made Rose instinctually trust her every word, and she felt like Lily would stop at nothing to accomplish her newfound dream.


    "Naturally, of course!" Rose said happily. "I wouldn''t expect any less of my beloved little sister."


    They giggled happily as they sat on the bed, leaning on each other and watching the glowing lights in the dark room.


    Rose pointed to the two stars.


    "Is that meant to be us?"


    "Yes. I hope you liked the idea," Lily replied.


    "I love it," Rose replied instantly.


    They continued to watch it silently for a few moments until the glyph had run out of Mana, and the lights winked out of existence.


    Lily sighed, wishing it would have lasted a bit longer, and moved to turn up the lamp.


    "I feel like I keep getting shocked and surprised¡­ First a talking book, then magic plants, and now this¡­" Rose said, gesturing to the room.


    "Well," Lily said as she jumped off the bed. "I hope I can still give you plenty more surprises, as this is technically only the beginning."


    "Oh?"


    "Glyphs and ink is the first step," Lily said confidently. "Next, I will work on getting myself Mana, then create a bloodline magic to fool the examiner, and finally, I''ll join you in Regarth!"


    "If it was anyone else, I would have laughed," Rose admitted. "But now, I think you really can do it. I''m so proud and hopeful for you, Lily."


    "Thanks Rose¡­ And thank you too, Arakil," Lily said to the book on the desk. "Without both of you helping me, I would have been stuck doing nothing but writing or bookkeeping."


    "Anytime!" Rose said immediately. "Now we just need to get Arakil fat and healthy on Fairymoss so he can get to work."


    "Yes!" Lily agreed.


    The door banged.


    "You girls! If you don''t get to bed right this instant, I''ll give you both a buttload of extra math homework!" A voice screeched from behind the door.


    Both girls shuddered in horror.


    Not math!


    ***


    Lily didn''t draw another real glyph the next morning despite her enthusiasm. She spent the time instead doing additional practice on the time-limit sigils and how to appropriately apply the settings to the heat sigil. She wanted to be thoroughly prepared to draw Camilla''s glyphs.


    If I do a good enough job, I might be able to convince her to buy me one of the rarer plants. That way, I can get Arakil the Mana he needs sooner!


    She had thought of it while trying to restlessly get back to sleep. Rose''s mention of fattening Arakil made her think of some other method to help speed up the process.


    Unfortunately, according to Rose, the hidden herb hole was looking rather scarce, and they didn''t want to pick it entirely clean. This meant buying it from Camilla now became their only reliable source, especially since she was the cheapest shop.


    Lily locked her bottle of glyph ink in her room despite wanting to bring it along. She couldn''t see a reason to need it at the shop if Camilla would have her draw in blood ink. She certainly didn''t want to waste her precious glyph ink doing Camilla''s tasks.


    After handing in her completed manuscript to the staff and having a hearty breakfast, she went to Camilla''s store with Rose as her escort.


    "Lily, good to see you," Camilla greeted her as she entered the shop.


    "You better not try any tricks on her old lady, or I''ll burn your house down!" Rose threatened at the door.


    "It''s nice to see you too, Rose," Camilla cackled. She seemed perfectly fine with Rose''s threats.


    Rose scoffed at Camilla before waving goodbye to Lily. "I''ll see you later."


    "Thanks, Rose, see you later; good luck with your lessons."


    Rose sighed and nodded. She was not looking forward to her next lesson with Lady Desthu after her temper caused a heat flare.


    "Hi, Miss Camilla. Thank you for the glyph ink; it worked perfectly," Lily said politely once Rose had left.


    "Wow, you really wasted no time digging straight in," Camilla teased. "I''m glad it worked out. Since it seems it''s the only thing I''ll be able to bribe you with to continue working here¡­"


    "Well¡­ I was thinking I''d save up for a stronger plant, too," Lily admitted. "I know you said they are expensive, but I thought maybe if I saved up enough, I could eventually afford it."


    Camilla hummed in thought before responding. "It''s certainly possible. Although you''ll need to pinch your pennies," she laughed at her joke. "And I presume you are willing to draw glyphs for me?"


    "Yes, and I''ll accept the book, too. I researched time-limit sigils and how to adjust the temperature," Lily answered.


    "Gods'' girl, I wish you''d accept being my full-blown apprentice already. You certainly go above and beyond¡­" Camilla said with a slight sigh.


    Lily blushed. "I just¡­ Really want to do magic. I want to join my big sister in Regarth."


    "Regarth!?" Camilla blurted out. "Well¡­ They do say, ''Shoot for the moon, and you''ll still end up amongst the stars.''"


    Lily wanted to protest but instead bottled it up. There was no point, and the woman wasn''t entirely negative about it.


    "So, what kind of control are we talking about?" Camilla asked curiously.


    Wanting to show off a little and perhaps get a tiny bit of revenge, Lily said. "Well. If you tell me the required temperature and the boil time, I can fine-tune it to the second."


    Camilla was startled at first, then put on a sly smile. "Girl¡­ You talk a big game. But, if you''re telling the truth, then I think this will be very prosperous for both of us."


    "I''m not lying," Lily said confidently.


    "And after your display yesterday, I don''t doubt it. But, as they say, ''the proof is in the pudding.''"


    Why would it be in the pudding? Lily wondered with a frown.


    Camilla laughed and gestured for Lily to follow her into the atelier. When Lily reached out to flip the shop sign from closed to open, Camilla interrupted her.


    "No customers today," Camilla said.


    Seeing Lily''s confusion, she elaborated. "Today, we''re doing some alchemy!"

 Chapter 21 - Potions

    Lily was quite excited to go into Camilla''s atelier. Now that it involved actual potions rather than herbal remedies, she found it far more magical and enticing. Entering the room, Lily first noticed that there were already five bottles of blackish-red ink.


    It caused Lily to gasp in surprise. "You made that many already?"


    Camilla chuckled. "Girl, if you knew how simple it was to make the blood ink version, I think you''d be rather upset¡­ But I have made an additional bottle of glyph ink for you to take at the end of the day."


    Lily was dumbfounded. In the time it took her to make one bottle of the glyph ink, she had easily produced five bottles of the blood variety?


    Talk about unfair¡­ Although... If I compare that to what Arakil did, where he took completely mundane ink and instantly transmuted it, that''s far more impressive! And once I have my own Mana, I will be able to do the same!


    Camilla led her to a work table and started pulling out beaker stands and their accompanying bottles in various sizes.


    "Unfortunately, I do not have many stands with exactly the same height. Will that be an issue?" Camilla asked. "I know you can adjust the glyphs, but we may need to reduce our number if it can''t be done."


    "No problem!" Lily said confidently. "I''m very good at the distance sigils."


    "Wonderful!" Camilla expressed happily.


    Camilla set up her various supplies and then started giving Lily instructions for each setup, which Lily wrote down and labeled each stand. If Arakil was correct about the reusable glyphs drawn in blood, then having them properly labeled for easy reuse would make things far less complicated.


    I could probably just read the glyph and figure it out, but I don''t think Miss Camilla could do that. Even if I explained it to her¡­


    Lily and Camilla had a bit of back and forth on creating the labels for each setup, discussing the period and temperature required for each one. Camilla initially hesitated about not keeping it relatively simple, but she felt Lily''s confidence was infectious and soon eagerly anticipated the success.


    Once the initial setup was done, Lily was eager to draw the glyphs. Camilla handed over one of the blackish-red bottles and what looked like a relatively new pen.


    I''m glad I don''t have to worry about getting my pen tainted. I still wish I wasn''t drawing in someone''s blood¡­ So gross...


    And so she got to work. While Lily drew the first glyph, Camilla watched her eagerly. It was a relatively simple setup, a 60-minute flame at 90 degrees, so Lily had no trouble creating the required sigils.


    When setting the parameters of the distance and size sigils, Lily hesitated and began trying to estimate the values. When Camilla noticed Lily trying to guesstimate using her own hands and fingers as measurements, she produced a ruler and handed it to her.


    I need to buy one of these, and maybe some measuring tape, too? Magic is really expensive, and I need to buy so many things!


    As she drew, she felt surging confidence, especially now that she had ensured the flame wouldn''t expand outside the stand or that the flame would be produced inside the beaker.


    Actually... I wonder what would happen if the apparition point was inside an object? Would the glyph fail entirely or cause the spell to manifest inside something? That would be pretty scary¡­ Imagine a flame growing inside someone''s stomach! I''ll ask Arakil about it later¡­


    When the glyph was complete, she smiled happily. "Done!"


    "My-my, you work fast!" Camilla praised. "I know I witnessed you doing it yesterday, but doing it without any reference at such speed and accuracy is startling."


    "Thanks¡­" Lily blushed.


    "Right¡­ So this is the long and slow flame; I need this solution to simmer, so this is perfect," Camilla said as she took the flask from the stand and walked over to her reagent table.


    She pulled out some pre-ground materials and placed them into the flask. Then, she added a strange silvery fluid to the contents. She corked the flask and began shaking it to mix it up. Once everything had dissolved, she smiled and placed it on the stand.


    "Right! Let''s begin brewing!" Camilla said excitedly.


    She touched the glyph Lily drew, and it began to glow. Lily found herself holding her breath again, a bad habit she hoped to grow out of once she had drawn more glyphs.


    Exactly where she had measured, an elongated pyramid of flame appeared under the beaker, and it took only moments for the contents to start bubbling.


    Lily released her breath. Success!


    "Excellent! Truly excellent!" Camilla praised, and at the same time, she placed an hourglass on the table. "Not that I don''t trust you, but this will confirm for us that everything is accurate."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She also held a thermometer near the flame and smiled happily. "You''ve already got the temperature perfect, too; this is simply marvelous!"


    Lily nodded; she didn''t doubt her configuration of the sigil. But she did end up giving a tiny glare at the sand ticking down in the glass.


    This thing better not be faulty¡­ I know my glyph is right!


    There was nothing to do but wait while the first one worked, so after having a refreshing cup of tea, Lily began working on the second glyph. Camilla, meanwhile, began grinding various ingredients together and preparing the solutions for the next setup.


    Working together in relative silence, they found themselves in their own rhythm. The soft sounds of the pen scratching and gliding across the pages mixed with the sound of the mortar and pestle grinding ingredients.


    However, when both noticed the hourglass running low, they finished their current task and positioned themselves to watch the still-burning flame and see if it would turn off correctly. Camilla even pulled out her thermometer to check the temperature and smiled happily when she saw the result.


    Camilla clapped her hands excitedly when the flame winked out a few moments before the final grains of sand in the hourglass.


    "Excellent! This is utterly amazing! I want you to make another one of these as soon as possible," Camilla requested.


    "For a different setup?" Lily asked, tilting her head.


    "No girl, for this same one," Camilla explained.


    "But¡­" Lily said, pointing towards the glyph. "This glyph will still work. I''m not sure how potent your blood ink is, but since I focused on the efficiency, it should at least be able to be used another one or two times."


    Camilla looked completely taken aback. "Are you serious?"


    "Yes?" Lily tilted her head again.


    "You''re telling me this glyph is reusable?" Camilla asked to confirm.


    "Yes. Because of the time-limit sigil, it turns off and still has the remaining leftover Mana to spend," Lily explained. "But, like I said, I''m not too sure how potent your blood is, so it might only be one or two more, but it could be even more."


    "Girl¡­" Camilla muttered, then corrected herself. "No, Lily¡­ You may have just revolutionized my entire shop!"


    "Is it that big of a deal?" Lily questioned. "I mean¡­ I haven''t read your alchemy glyph book yet, but I assume it probably also has time-limit sigils¡­"


    "Presumably! I haven''t gone past the first few chapters since school!" Camilla admitted, chuckled to herself. "To think I was shooting myself in the foot by not getting more into glyphs¡­ No wonder my professor suggested glyphs as my elective subject, to think I thought he did that because he hated me¡­"


    Lily couldn''t believe her ears. Her teacher had specifically told her to learn this, but she disregarded it entirely!


    I promise I won''t let your lessons go to waste! Lily swore to herself, thinking of Arakil''s teachings.


    Camilla retrieved the bottle and ran rudimentary tests on the slow-boiled solution. The more she examined it, the happier she seemed. Eventually, she placed a new bottle on the stand and filled it with the same ingredients before reigniting the flame glyph.


    "It really works again!" Camilla exclaimed. "Lily, you''re brilliant!"


    "Thanks, Miss Camilla¡­" Lily blushed again. "I hope now you''ll understand why I want more glyph ink and to get a plant with better Mana."


    Camilla nodded. "Most certainly! I''d almost say it was a cruel prank of the gods to have someone as talented in glyphs as you but unable to use your own blood. Why, I swear I''d write you a recommendation letter to Blesmore Academy myself; you might even get in on your glyph work alone!"


    "Thanks for the offer, Miss Camilla, but I have my heart set on Regarth to join my big sister," Lily politely rejected the offer. "But I''ll gladly pay for any better Mana plants! Please!"


    Camilla sighed, wishing the girl would be a little more realistic. Then again¡­ She did all of this when I doubted her. Maybe she can get into Regarth?


    "Very well. I''ll consult my catalog and then speak to my supplier¡­ But be warned, they are expensive," Camilla agreed.


    "You promise you aren''t saying that to discourage me?" Lily questioned suspiciously.


    Camilla winced. "I guess I deserve that after what I did¡­ But I promise you I''m not lying about this. Swear to the gods. I''ll even show you my catalog if you don''t believe me!"


    Lily shook her head frantically, her ears flopping from side to side. "No. You promised, so I believe you. I''ll make sure to save up as much as possible!"


    "Well¡­ On that end, I probably need to increase your wages," Camilla said, pointing to the glyph and flame. "Because this is going far beyond minor assistant work."


    "Really?" Lily asked, eyes sparkling.


    Camilla chuckled. "Yes, really, girl! I don''t want any government workers or the orphanage kicking my door down for labor exploitation! Besides, if I can start making the good potions again, my profits will skyrocket!"


    "Great! Then let''s get back to work!" Lily demanded.


    "Cheeky brat! I''m supposed to be the slavedriver, not you!" Camilla teased before cackling with laughter.


    Lily giggled and twirled her pen. This idea sounded far more exciting to her, and she loved every minute of it.


    I can''t wait to tell Arakil! We will have so much Mana his belly will burst!


    Time flew by as she worked. She had completed numerous sets of varying glyphs at different times and temperatures, all nicely labeled for each brewing stand. Lily proudly looked over her work while Camilla took stock of each one and its label.


    "You did all of this before lunch¡­ Aren''t your fingers sore?" Camilla teased.


    "Lots of practice¡­ I don''t get out much, so writing and drawing are all I can do," Lily explained.


    Camilla nodded. "Tell me, can you draw bigger glyphs?" She asked.


    Lily nodded. "I certainly can, although not at this speed, as I''m a little unpracticed. Why?" Lily questioned.


    Camilla grinned as she pointed to the large cauldron in the corner of the room. "Well, I want a glyph for that big boy sitting in the corner."


    Lily giggled. "Miss Camilla, I could just change the sigil for a bigger flame and use the same size glyph."


    Camilla genuinely blushed, looking mightily embarrassed. "But¡­ No, that can''t be right¡­ I know for certain I was told the bigger the glyph, the better!"


    Lily giggled. "Well¡­ A bigger glyph would mean more ink and thus more Mana."


    "Right¡­" Camilla nodded.


    "More available Mana means a better chance at overcoming imperfections and inefficiencies," Lily explained.


    "Oh¡­" Camilla frowned. "So they''re pointless?"


    "Well, not pointless," Lily admitted. "A bigger glyph would also allow more activations. Or a longer activation with a stronger effect. Since we don''t have an estimate for your blood ink, it might still be beneficial."


    "Well, that''s good at least¡­ I''m glad I wasn''t fed entirely wrong knowledge," Camilla sighed. "Makes me wonder if the glyph artisans are making up a scam or something. Charging triple for a big glyph, bah!"


    "They''re scamming people?" Lily questioned.


    "They might be," Camilla shrugged. "I''ve heard they charge a fortune for their work, and since only they can activate it, it''s not like anyone can just steal it."


    "I mean¡­ Doing it takes a lot of practice and learning, so I can understand why they might."


    "True, I certainly don''t hold back on my potion prices, so who am I to judge?" Camilla cackled with laughter.

 Chapter 22 - Tests

    With most of the work done, they cleaned up after first eating a small lunch Camilla had prepared. Camilla was busy putting away her raw ingredients, which left Lily mostly to herself.


    Lily was curious about one thing after drawing so many of these blood glyphs.


    Arakil said you can activate a glyph by placing a drop of ink on the primary crest¡­ What''s stopping me from doing the same thing with blood ink?


    The question was nagging at her in the back of her mind, so while Camilla was busy ensuring her ingredients were sealed in appropriate containers, she quickly began drawing a very small glyph herself.


    The glyph''s purpose didn''t matter much, as long as it was small enough for her to quickly craft, so she just made a small Light glyph and kept it barebones. No color change, and merely a simple sphere without any movement.


    She completed the glyph quickly and then held her breath as she let a single drop of blood ink drip onto the crest. What happened next baffled her. The crest seemed to absorb the drop of ink and neither activated nor showed any sign of change.


    If it failed, I would have thought it would at least ruin the crest or something, but it basically ate the ink. What happened to it?


    While puzzled over the question, Camilla must have noticed her and came to investigate.


    "What''s that you got there?" Camilla asked curiously.


    Lily flinched in surprise.


    "Miss Camilla! You spooked me!" Lily said, catching her breath.


    "Sorry, dear," Camilla chuckled. "I didn''t expect you to be so lost in your own little world. So, care to explain?" She asked again, pointing to the glyph.


    "I read that glyphs can be activated by adding another drop of ink onto the crest," Lily explained. "I already confirmed this with the glyph ink, so I was curious if it would work with this blood one."


    Camilla chuckled. "So you already got the glyph ink working for yourself? That''s good! As for the blood ink, I''m unsure. I must say I''ve never heard of such an activation method before."


    Camilla held out her hand for Lily to hand over the pen. Lily nodded in understanding and gave it.


    "I know the glyph is locked to me, so let''s see if this works?" Camilla said curiously.


    Lily nodded again and watched with bated breath. Camilla flicked the pen enough to cause another drop to spill onto the crest. Lily had certainly expected it to activate this time, but the glyph consumed it again instead.


    "Hmm¡­ Is this glyph broken?" Camilla asked curiously.


    "No! I drew it perfectly!" Lily immediately denied it, feeling absolutely gutted by the insinuation.


    Camilla nodded and touched the glyph, giving it the usual activation method she was accustomed to and letting a tiny amount of her Mana trickle into it. It immediately lit up and formed a small orb of light, illuminating the room.


    "Gods, that''s bright!" Camilla complained, wincing as she narrowed her eyes.


    "Sorry¡­ I didn''t want to make a dangerous glyph and kept it to the simplest one I could think of," Lily explained apologetically.


    "Well, I''m glad you didn''t make a giant fire or something to burn down my shop!" Camilla cackled. "So the glyph definitely works, and I doubt you were lying about the glyph ink drop activating. So, I can only assume that the blood ink behaves differently, for whatever reason."


    "It''s so strange, though¡­" Lily muttered. "One of the other activations I know of involves an extra circle around the glyph, and when it''s broken, it triggers the spell. If I drew that with blood ink, would it also fail? Can blood ink only work with Mana being channeled directly into the glyph?"


    "Good questions, girl!" Camilla replied. "It''s too bad I have no idea. I''d love to answer, but I feel grossly inadequate comparing my knowledge to yours. You''re welcome to try drawing that trigger, and we can try it out."


    Lily shook her head. "I only know of it; I''m not confident enough to draw it until I''m ready."


    "That''s a shame, but also wise," Camilla said, nodding in agreement. "I feel much better about giving you the glyph ink now; if I had suspected you were going to explode the entire orphanage or something, I might have to renege on our agreement."


    "No!" Lily exclaimed. "I promise I''m being extra safe and not doing anything risky!"


    "Easy girl! Easy! I believe you¡­ Sheesh¡­" Camilla sighed.


    I''ll ask Arakil if he has any ideas¡­ It''s so strange.


    They left the page with the light glyph in the atelier, unsure how long it would last but not wanting to tear it in half to break it. When they were finally done cleaning up, Camilla handed her end-of-the-week wages, with extra, the book she had mentioned, and finally, the bottle of glyph ink she promised.


    Lily''s eyes sparkled with joy as she saw another bottle of the miraculous liquid. She carefully placed it in her basket like a fragile porcelain ornament.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Thank you again for all your work today, Lily. I promise I''ll look into getting some of those Mana plants for you," Camilla said happily. I''m so glad I can get back into proper alchemy again. You''ve really given me a new lease on the alchemical life!"


    "Thank you too, Miss Camilla. Even if you don''t believe it, this glyph ink is securing my future!" Lily replied confidently.


    Camilla cackled with laughter. "Girl, I think I''m actually believing you more and more with each day. I''m almost looking forward to the day when I can say that my shop assistant became a Mage!"


    Lily couldn''t help but blush, feeling so happy and yet embarrassed at the praise. Shortly after, Rose knocked at the door, and they said farewells.


    "Good, no tears this time," Rose immediately said upon inspecting Lily.


    "I told you those were happy tears!" Lily professed. "Today was a lot of fun, though, I got to draw so many glyphs! And also got to watch Miss Camilla mixing real potions!"


    "So now not only does she sound like a real witch, but she''s become one?" Rose teased.


    "Don''t be mean, Rose¡­ I think she was genuinely worried about me," Lily defended.


    Rose snorted. "Sure. Doesn''t excuse her for lying about it for weeks, though."


    "Yeah¡­" Lily admitted with an ear-flopping nod. "So, how did your lessons go?"


    Rose groaned. "I hate that woman so much¡­ Lady Desthu is a bloody tyrant!"


    "That bad?" Lily asked.


    Rose nodded. "Her idea of ''lessons'' involves trying to piss me off as much as possible. Today, she decided that was by putting me in embarrassing clothing and then shoving ice down my dress!"


    "H-how is that supposed to help you?" Lily stammered out in confusion.


    "She says if I can control my anger, then I won''t burn anyone if I have another fit of rage. Supposedly, once I get a bit older, I''ll have much greater control over it and can even actively use it to my benefit," Rose sighed. "According to her, I''m filled with too much teenage angst, and so suppressing it is the only option."


    "I think this is the one time I''m glad I''m not a Dragia¡­" Lily joked.


    "I think the sky might fall if you keep saying things like that," Rose teased. "I''m glad you''ve become more positive with this magic thing. I just hope that book keeps his word."


    "Why would he lie?" Lily asked, astounded. "He has nothing to gain from it by getting my hopes up and then letting me down. If anything, it would put him at risk because I might give up and leave him to rot in some cupboard."


    "I suppose that''s true¡­ You mentioned that only the book''s owner can talk to him?" Rose questioned.


    "Yeah, that''s what he said. And judging by the fact you or anyone else can''t see his writing, I believe him. Margit, Camilla, and even Tim just see a blank page."


    "You even asked Tim?" Rose was baffled.


    "I bumped into him one time, and he knocked some of my pages out of my hands," Lily explained. "He helped pick them back up for me, and then he asked why I was carrying around so many blank sheets of paper."


    "I bet that was no accident¡­" Rose growled. "Maybe I need to pay Tim a visit again¡­"


    "Please don''t get in trouble; it was ages ago. You''ll end up with Lady Desthu putting ice in your dress again, or worse."


    Rose shuddered. "True¡­ I guess I''ll let the stupid brat go. This time."


    Rather than going straight home, they went shopping. Rose was on the lookout for more suitable clothes for her startling new changes, and she was still sitting on her portion of the money from selling the herbs.


    Meanwhile, Lily was looking for stationary, such as a ruler, measuring tape, and perhaps another pen.


    I''m going to have an entire collection of pens at this rate. Lily giggled to herself.


    ***


    That evening, Lily pulled out Arakil''s book and conversed with him as usual. She explained her day drawing blood glyphs and the strange behavior she experienced when trying to activate one.


    "So does that mean none of the activation sigils will work on a blood glyph?" Lily asked.


    [No. If the owner channels some Mana into the glyph, it will be "unlocked" and behave as normal. Presumably, if they channeled some Mana into it before the ink drop, it would also work, but that''s rather pointless.]


    "Unlocked¡­ Wouldn''t that just activate the glyph?" Lily questioned.


    [Again, no. In this case, the activation sigil would act almost as a secondary lock. The glyph would only activate when both are supplied with Mana from the blood''s owner and meet its trigger condition.]


    "Sounds kind of pointless¡­" Lily mumbled. "One of the examples you gave me was an air spell that could save you from drowning. But if I need to also put Mana into it, it might not save me in time!"


    [Correct. However, if someone spilled a glass of water on you in that same scenario, it would immediately trigger the air bubble and potentially cause an accident.]


    "Oh¡­ I hadn''t thought of that," Lily admitted. "I guess there are pros and cons for both situations."


    [Well, do not worry too much about that. Once you have your Mana, I will give you suitable manipulation training. You''ll be able to unconsciously keep a flow of Mana into a lifesaving glyph and remove it when applicable.]


    "Really!?" Lily gasped. "That''s so cool! You can control your Mana to that level?"


    [In my time, it was extremely common. Most people could even use Mana in place of their hands if they were competent enough. I''m unsure of the level the current world is in, but I certainly would expect any student of mine to eventually reach that level of proficiency.]


    Lily giggled excitedly.


    I could move things with Mana? How awesome would that be!? It wouldn''t matter that I''m short or weak!


    "Oh yes. Miss Camilla said she would pay me more money since she can''t call me a minor assistant anymore," Lily explained. "She also agreed to order some of those Mana plants for me as long as I pay. Although if I improve some glyphs more, I almost think she''d be willing to give it to me for free!"


    [That''s indeed good news. We need as many resources as possible. Speaking of which, you mentioned that they use these plants primarily to produce Mana potions. I''d advise asking her to refine at least one of these plants into a potion rather than ink for us.]


    "Really?" Lily asked, tilting her head. "Why a potion and not ink? Don''t we want to be able to make better glyphs or even inscriptions?"


    [Unless potion processing has drastically changed since my time, a potion will offer far more refined Mana than any other source. It''ll boost my reserves greatly and potentially solve our resource issue instantly. However, I believe that ink would not grant that same potency level. For confirmation, if we get at least one of each, then I can analyze and compare the two.]


    Lily nodded. "I guess that makes sense¡­ I just wanted more ink."


    [Remember, these plants are just a stopgap. Once you have your own Mana, you can imbue as much ink as you want. Plus, we might need a Mana potion as a catalyst to solve your predicament. Some avenues I''ve discovered mention overloading one''s body with Mana.]


    "Oh¡­" Lily murmured. "That sounds a bit¡­ Drastic?"


    [Which is why I haven''t proposed it as a solution. If it had been that simple, I trust many others in your position would have unraveled this. I promised you the best solution with the resources we have available. However, I want one that leaves your potential open for further growth.]


    Lily couldn''t deny she liked the sound of that. Looking at her small body, she''d appreciate any form of growth at all.

 Chapter 23 - Incident

    Time flew by for Lily, a testament to her unwavering dedication to her studies. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge made each day feel like a fleeting moment. She would blink, and suddenly, she''d be forcing herself to reluctantly go to bed, her mind still buzzing with the day''s lessons.


    After introducing glyphs, her job at the shop became far more enjoyable. While she never hated it, and sometimes the lessons were interesting, now she was actively looking forward to it. Her only regret was that she couldn''t activate her work herself and was forced to wait for Camilla to use it.


    Imagine a chef never being able to eat their own food!


    Instead of teaching new crests, Arakil taught her more sigils for the ones she knew. Most notably the ones that controlled activation. It basically boiled down to storing a tiny amount of extra Mana into a sigil designed to trigger the glyph under a specific condition.


    Lily now knew three types of activation: pressure, breaking, and toggle. Pressure was undoubtedly her favorite, as Arakil had alluded to, and Lily absolutely loved the idea of creating the "talisman" spells as he had described them.


    After weeks of practice, she even successfully combined pressure and toggle to make herself a tiny lamp spell that she could activate by pressing down on the sigil combination as if it were a button, which would trigger the glyph. The joy of this achievement was palpable, a testament to her growing mastery of the craft.


    It was probably her favorite creation. Since she had refined the spell to be extremely efficient, it meant that even the glyph ink, which Camilla deemed inferior, could handle it for extremely long periods.


    Some of the limits on a glyph were absolutely fascinating and puzzling as to why they were considered a limit when they provided a beneficial effect. For example, her lamp spell had a limit of only projecting light in one direction rather than the default radial effect.


    This was useful as it allowed her to direct the light away from her door and make her nighttime activities more subtle from any staff who might wonder why a light was coming from under her door. And yet, this useful feature saved Mana.


    After weeks of seeing the various things Lily threw together with her ink, even Rose started showing some minor interest. Lily was happy to try to teach her big sister something, but to her dismay, the idea was short-lived as Rose claimed it "totally fried her brain" and that trying to remember her current lessons was filling it up too much.


    Meanwhile, when Lily finally revealed a glyph with the toggle to Camilla at the shop, the woman nearly broke down into tears of joy; she was so pleased. While the glyphs with strict time limits were near-perfect, this allowed some much-needed leeway with some of the concoctions.


    One example was a poison cleansing elixir that completely detoxed almost all harmful substances from a body and was a very expensive concoction. Brewing that potion took Camilla precisely 30 minutes, but there were moments when it needed to be paused to mix in the next batch of ingredients before resuming the boil.


    Before introducing the toggle sigil, Camilla brewed it using three individual glyphs on different timers, and while it worked, it was tedious. Now, when she needed to add the next ingredient, she could pause the timer, and when resumed, it would continue as normal and never exceed 30 minutes.


    Arakil had even suggested Lily could create a set of toggles and timers for the various steps of the brewing but then realized they both shouldn''t reveal that much to Camilla. Lily had agreed, although she had started experimenting with something similar with a light spell that changed color at intervals.


    However, the toggle improvement alone was enough for Camilla to reward Lily with what she had requested¡ªa Mana potion.


    This potion was a reward and a crucial tool for Lily''s journey. It would provide Arakil with the necessary energy to find the solution to granting her Mana!


    Lily had even watched Camilla brew it, using the glyphs she had produced. Honestly, she had expected the process to be much harder than it looked after seeing the poison-cleansing elixir, but in this case, the difficulty was the price of the ingredients.


    Devil''s Bitterweed, the primary ingredient used for the Mana potion, was a rare and potent herb known for its magical properties. According to Camilla, it was easily ten times the potency of Fairymoss, a far more common magical herb. Lily wished she could have asked for it to be made into glyph ink, but completing Arakil''s search took priority.


    The Mana potion, a glowing purplish-blue concoction, was beautiful. It shimmered with a magical glow that enchanted Lily. She recalled Arakil saying that one method that might have worked was overloading her body with Mana, but she knew the potential dangers of such an approach. The thought of chugging the brew only briefly crossed her mind.


    Camilla warned her to be careful with it and keep it well hidden in her basket, as even in a city as safe as Ceedale, someone might be tempted to steal a potion as valuable as that. Luckily, Lily had the strongest draconic bodyguard to accompany her home, but she still kept it wrapped up and deep within the basket.


    "Arakil! I finally got the Mana potion." Lily said, her voice filled with relief and joy.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    [Excellent. Be very careful and only administer it in small quantities as this is untested for us.]


    Lily nodded and pulled out a pipette, which she had purchased at some point to improve the ink delivery to Arakil. No longer would she need to worry about meticulously cleaning one of her pens every time they simply conversed.


    When the Mana potion struck the page, Arakil wanted to gasp. He had expected a decent amount, but this was like finding an oasis in a desert. He rapidly stored it away and waited to tell Lily the good news.


    [It''s outstanding! Assuming I haven''t misjudged how much potion you have available, I should be able to finish my investigation!]


    Lily silently cheered, joyous tears filling her eyes as she began to pour out more of the Mana potion onto the book.


    To anyone else observing, it would have looked like Lily was vandalizing an ancient book and wasting a valuable potion, but the liquid vanished into the pages like a sponge.


    "Do we finally have enough?" Lily asked when the last drop had disappeared; she was absolutely brimming with hope.


    [Yes! Lily, this is spectacular. I may even have some surplus for whatever ritual or preparations we require.]


    "Finally¡­" Lily mumbled happily. "How long will it take?"


    [I''m unsure; while I could likely blow through all of this Mana in a hasty search, that would be shortsighted. I would estimate somewhere around a week if I balance urgency and frugality.]


    Lily shook her head, ears flopping from side to side. "Don''t waste it. I''m not sure how easily I can get another potion. Camilla made it sound like she did me a big favor when she made it by not taking the full payment."


    [Excellent. Then, let me give you some more work to practice. While you can contact me in an emergency, I would like to put all my energy into research. I hope you don''t mind doing some self-learning for a week?]


    "No, it''s fine. I got a lot to do anyway¡­" Lily mumbled.


    [Once again, I''m glad to have such a diligent student. However, some of the sigils I will be teaching you now have dangerous applications, so you must promise me not to use them with glyph ink without my supervision.]


    "I promise!" Lily declared without any uncertainty.


    [Wonderful. Now let''s start with the projectile sigil and how it can be optimized with range limits¡­]


    ***


    Rose grumbled. She hated her lessons; they were so boring.


    I bet if I could talk to the book, he would be able to teach me in a snap. I really hope that the Regarth teachers are better than this.


    "Miss Rose, if you are so confident that you can ignore my lessons, then why don''t you demonstrate the proper Mana control?" The teacher snapped.


    Rose suppressed a growl. She got up and formed a perfect sphere of flame with barely a snap of her fingers; it had been getting easier and easier for her every passing day.


    "Happy?" Rose asked, dripping with sarcasm.


    "That''s remarkably impressive. But I''d like to see you do the same with air," the teacher responded.


    Rose felt her eye twitch. She loathed working with anything other than fire. Fire came as naturally as breathing, but everything else required her to follow the proper procedure.


    She hated the proper procedure.


    Rose sighed before taking a deep breath as she tried to feel the Mana flowing through her veins. This internal self-reflection was basically required for any spellcasting that wasn''t handled through innate ability.


    As she tried to recall the correct chant, the Mana in her blood stirred as she clarified her intent. She held out her hand.


    "Ventus colliget in manu mea," Rose muttered.


    A wind stream rushed to gather into her outstretched palm, scattering papers and stationery. Hair and clothes were blowing wildly.


    "Happy?" Rose repeated, with a confident smirk before dismissing the ball of wind, causing further scattered items throughout the room when it burst.


    "Aeris!" The teacher said with a scowl. "Not Ventus!"


    "Who cares? I did it, didn''t I?" Rose snapped back. "And Ventus is just the better version of Aeris."


    "Who cares?" The teacher looked furious. "The words matter, girl. Right down to even the correct pronunciation. Which you''d know if you paid attention!"


    Rose snapped. A feral growl burned in her throat as she slammed a fist into her desk. The wood cracked and splintered from the loud impact.


    "Maybe I''d pay attention if your lessons were worth a damn!" She screamed back.


    The teacher was clearly fed up, his face red like a tomato. "I''m sorry my lessons aren''t up to your standard, you spoiled brat! They are meant to be introductory. You were supposed to have started at Regarth already. You were the one who wanted to stay behind!"


    "I''m looking after my sister!" Rose snarled.


    "Bah!" The teacher scoffed. "Lily would be better off without such a hotheaded sister. She''s well-behaved and has a bright future despite her circumstances. But I suppose that might be ruined if she continues associating with such a hoodlum!"


    Red. Rose saw red. How dare he! Before she knew it, she had basically leaped across the classroom. Her tightly clenched fist struck the teacher''s face, sending him sprawling backward into his desk.


    The other kids gasped in either shock or horror. Some pointed or cheered, while others fled screaming.


    While Rose was certainly strong for her age, thanks to her heritage and the encounter, it still wasn''t enough to completely overpower the teacher¡ªat least not in a singular blow.


    He may not have been the cream of the crop, but he had still graduated from one of the magic schools and even did a short tour of duty before finally deciding his passion lay in teaching the children. The years may have dulled him, but he still had some of those instincts engraved into his bones.


    Leaping back up with surprising agility, he performed a shortened chant, creating a protective windscreen surrounding Rose. While he was angry, she was still a kid, and he had a duty to protect the other children in case she got out of control.


    Rose snarled as if her instincts demanded she fight back against the teacher''s flared Mana. She punched the windy barrier with a fist, but it hurtled ineffectually backward.


    She punched again, but her fist was wreathed in flame this time. Again, however, it failed to penetrate the barrier. She began assailing the wall of wind repeatedly, flames licking up from her limbs, but it was a crude and imprecise method of attack where she should have been resorting to finesse and precision.


    Capitalizing on her lack of experience, the teacher continued reinforcing the wall with a more thorough chant. Rose had impressive talent but was still unrefined, like throwing around a blunt instrument.


    While she was distracted by punching the barrier, he began expelling the air from her prison¡ªnot enough to kill her, but enough to cause her to pass out and dampen the magical flames she was creating.


    Rose was beginning to feel frantic as the world darkened around her. She tried to flare more flame, but it felt weaker for some reason. For some reason, the wood and paper around her even failed to catch fire. She couldn''t understand any of it.


    Her vision of red soon became replaced with one of black.

 Chapter 24 - Grounded

    Rose stirred, feeling a throbbing pain in her head. She slowly sat up from the bed she was in.


    When did I go to bed? Wasn''t I in class?


    Her memory felt fuzzy¡­ She recalled being extremely bored, angry, and red¡ªa surge of conflicting emotions, a battle within herself.


    She grumbled, rubbing her head and checking for injuries. As far as she could tell, she looked in perfect health, besides a strangely splitting headache.


    Looking around the room more, she discovered she wasn''t in her own room. In fact, she recognized this as the room she had woken up in after the incident with the dire hawks.


    "Desthu¡­" Rose growled.


    "Lady Desthu," a stern voice corrected her. "Or do I need to give you a few more ice baths until you finally remember?"


    Rose shuddered. She turned to the now-opening door to see the familiar sight of the pinkish-red dragon woman that she absolutely despised. Once again, she was wearing a dress that screamed big money.


    "Sorry, Lady Desthu¡­" Rose muttered. "What am I doing here?"


    "You tried to fight with your magic teacher. Quite violently, I might add," Desthu responded, tilting her head accusatively.


    "I¡­" Rose mumbled, then the memories came flooding back. "Might have done that."


    "Might is an understatement, my dear. If he had been your poor math teacher, he might not have lived to tell the tale," Desthu pointed out.


    Rose felt ashamed.


    "Perhaps not sending you to Regarth at the start of the year was a mistake¡­" Desthu muttered.


    "I don''t want to leave Lily behind!" Rose shouted.


    "I still don''t understand why you''re so attached to her. I understand you grew up together, but you''re not really sisters."


    Rose started growling.


    "Oh, put a lid on it," Desthu said, rolling her eyes. "Although I will say it''s slightly cute that you were both named after flowers, the orphanage staff must have had a sense of humor when deciding on you two."


    "I don''t care if we''re not blood-related. She''s closer to me than anyone else," Rose defended, her loyalty to Lily shining through.


    "Yes. So I''ve heard from both you and the staff repeatedly. You even turned down chances at adoption due to her¡­ It''s a rather unhealthy obsession, but I guess it is a little draconic."


    "Those bastards just wanted to say they had a dragon in the family; they didn''t actually care about me," Rose spat out. "Some of them even said they''d adopt Lily too as the family pet."


    Even Lady Desthu seemed taken aback by that. "No doubt some minor nobles wanting to spice up their family lineage. Disgusting behavior. Still, what are we going to do with you and these outbursts? They seem to be getting more frequent and intense¡­"


    "I¡­ I''m just so angry, all the time like I''m always on edge¡­" Rose admitted, somewhat reluctantly.


    "I partially think the environment is to blame. You''re the top dog¡­" She shook her head. "Dragon in this place with nobody to challenge you. You crave it. To prove that you''re the best."


    Rose frowned. "I don''t think I agree with that¡­"


    Lady Desthu shrugged. "As much as you want to deny it, it''s part of who we are. We want to be the biggest and strongest and show everyone it''s true; you either feed or suppress those instincts. You seem to be struggling with the latter option."


    Rose blushed.


    "The other issue is your dragon puberty-"


    "Please stop calling it that!" Rose interjected.


    Lady Desthu sighed. "Well¡­ You''re currently going through it extremely roughly. No doubt it was somewhat premature or hastened by you killing those two dire hawks."


    "Why would that matter?" Rose asked.


    "Well, you''re the one who said she wanted to be an adventurer. Killing monsters makes you stronger, and that sped up your draconic awakening."


    "Oh¡­" Rose mumbled.


    "I think we should send you to Regarth," Lady Desthu stated, her words carrying the weight of guidance. "You can''t control yourself, and this environment is poorly suited to get you through this predicament. The outbursts are only going to get worse."


    "No!" Rose shouted. "You promised! I don''t want to leave Lily behind!"


    Lady Desthu rolled her eyes. "Girl, I don''t know what good waiting around longer will do for you or that bunny."


    "Well, the school year has already started, I can''t just join halfway!" Rose quickly countered.


    "That is true¡­" Lady Desthu admitted before giving a smirk. "But sending you early to Regarth would just be the excuse."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Excuse? For what?" Rose demanded.


    "Monster hunting," Lady Desthu replied.


    Rose''s eyes widened. She felt something in her¡­ Calling.


    "Ha!" Lady Desthu chuckled triumphantly. "I thought that might catch your attention."


    Rose shook her head, trying to deny it. "W-why would we go monster hunting?"


    "Currently, I don''t think even sending you to Regarth will do much good," Lady Desthu explained. "You''d likely tear apart some noble brat at your first chance. Which undoubtedly will have consequences no matter how good your bloodline and potential is."


    "Okay¡­ But what do monsters have to do with this?" Rose questioned.


    "Killing monsters got you into this mess; killing more will get you out of it," Lady Desthu stated. "We will use the growth from monsters to speed you straight through dragon puberty."


    "Stop calling it that!" Rose complained instinctually and finally digested the full meaning of what she had just said. "Wait, we''re going to kill monsters, grow stronger, and get past this dragon thing?"


    "Precisely. It will also allow you to burn off some much-needed steam and feed those instincts of yours that are so starved for attention."


    Rose¡­ Liked the sound of that. Something in her was stirring, and the thought of ripping monsters to shreds with her claws or burning them to cinders felt¡­ Right.


    "You must really be pent up to actually be drooling¡­" Lady Desthu said with a chuckle.


    Rose blinked in confusion before wiping her mouth. There really was some drool!


    Maybe I really do need to get this sorted out¡­


    "I¡­ Agree¡­ Kind of¡­." Rose muttered.


    "Kind of?" Lady Desthu frowned. "This is something you want to do and is clearly for your own benefit. Why hesitate?"


    "Can you even kill monsters? Aren''t you a noble lady?" Rose asked although she was grasping at straws. She knew full well that Lady Desthu could be downright demonic in her strength.


    "Yes. I most certainly can kill a few monsters," Lady Desthu stated bluntly. "While I may not be an adventurer or a qualified mage, you''ll be pleased to know that most nobles partake in the sport of monster hunting. You could even say we are socially obligated to help cleanse the realm occasionally."


    "Oh¡­ I had no idea¡­" Rose murmured sheepishly.


    "There''s a lot you don''t know, girl, which is why you should listen to your elders more. Now, is there a real reason you want to delay this? It''s for your own good."


    "I don''t want to just abandon Lily¡­" Rose finally admitted.


    "We most certainly are not bringing her along!" Lady Desthu immediately rejected any potential of that idea. "She will be eaten by the first monster we encounter! Not to mention how much she would slow us down; that girl can barely walk, let alone run."


    Rose shook her head. "No¡­ I agree; it wouldn''t be safe for her."


    Although¡­ If she had more of those spells from Arakil, she might kill more than us. But still¡­ I don''t want to risk it. That would also reveal her secret to this demon woman, and who knows what that might lead to!


    "Then what''s the issue?" Lady Desthu asked impatiently.


    "I just¡­" Rose struggled to find a good reason. "We had things we were planning, I don''t want to abandon her so soon without any notice."


    Lady Desthu sighed again but nodded. "Very well. I understand the importance of keeping a prior commitment, and it would be horrible to rip you from her so suddenly. Very well, I''ll give you until the end of next month to get your affairs in order."


    "That''s not even two full months¡­" Rose muttered.


    "Be grateful I''m not giving you less!" She shouted back. "If I had my way, we''d ship out within the week. Your teacher has already refused to teach you further after that display."


    "Good! He was useless¡­" Rose snarled.


    "While I partially agree with you, I will point out that it means your time now belongs to me."


    "Oh¡­ Oh no¡­" Rose muttered. She did not want more lessons with this demon woman.


    "Oh yes." Lady Desthu smirked.


    Rose gulped, although she still had a greater worry on her mind.


    What am I going to tell Lily?


    ***


    Arakil was practically flying through his archive of knowledge, joyous at having some minor amount of restored power to his form. He was nearing the end of his promised week with the girl, and she hadn''t disturbed him once, so he didn''t want to disappoint her.


    He simply had included too much information in his archive, and trying to search through it without any form of indexing or magical location made the task nearly impossible.


    Before the Mana potion, he had found a few methods that may have worked for Lily, but he had concerns and didn''t want to settle for an inferior choice. He just knew there was likely a better solution for both of them.


    Through all the knowledge he had scoured, the ideal solution seemed to be a process that would create a Mana Core inside Lily. Many different cultures, worlds, or species had variations on the Mana Core, and it could even be likened to the Dantian that Daoists formed when utilizing and condensing their Qi.


    If Lily could form a Mana Core, even a tiny one, they could work towards nurturing and growing it over time. It would be the ideal solution, in Arakil''s opinion, as it would leave Lily with a potentially bright future.


    Especially if my theory of monsters in this world is correct. My first clue was that Rose grew stronger after killing those two dire hawks. With a Mana Core, not only could she nurture it over time, but if she defeated a monster, I truly believe it would grow similarly to Rose.


    Other methods he had discarded had involved only granting her Mana temporarily or at the cost of her lifespan and other rather nefarious methods. While Arakil was somewhat desperate to escape the confines of his prison, he couldn''t bring himself to sacrifice someone he had declared one of his precious students.


    "The only issue is finding a ritual that can create a Mana Core that doesn''t require absurdly rare ingredients," Arakil muttered to himself. "So many of these solutions are based on alchemical solutions, likely taking inspiration from their Daoist origin. Pop a pill and breakthrough!"


    Arakil scoffed as he tossed one of the "books" aside, describing yet another magic pill.


    How would Lily or anyone in this city be able to procure a 1000-year-old ginseng? Or a moonlight-blessed blood lotus? Utterly absurd.


    Arakil shook his head.


    "We need a grand ritual, but can we accomplish that? Perhaps we could set up an area with sub-rituals to feed the primary one? That way, we could presumably get it to work even with something as weak as the glyph ink."


    Arakil pulled up one of the ritual tomes he had kept at the side. Creating a bunch of interconnecting sub-rituals to fuel the main ritual indeed looked like it might be enough to trigger the creation of a Mana core if he was calculating it correctly.


    "This way, even something as minor as the glyph ink might work¡­ However, we will likely need quite a substantial number of sub-rituals to compensate. Creating a Mana Core requires a high influx of Mana rapidly compressed within the individual¡­"


    He was mumbling to himself as he continued to explore through his books. He was becoming more confident that it was doable and that they could build up the resources slowly. It wasn''t like they had a time limit or anything to worry about.


    No. We have plenty of time. Arakil thought reassuringly.


    "Arakil!" Lily suddenly shouted to get his attention.


    He approached the desk with the book and saw that Lily had already supplied the ink. Grabbing the pen, he wrote out his response.


    [Hello Lily, what is the matter? My search has been fruitful, and I have found a reasonable solution. With a bit of effort and a few months of gathering resources.]


    "Arakil, Rose is going away!" Lily shouted with worry.


    "Well¡­ That complicates things¡­" Arakil said bitterly to himself.


    He silently cursed himself as he could only feel his own bad luck had brought about this.


    "I just had to mention we didn''t have a time limit¡­" He groaned. "Why does fate like to always spit in my face?"

 Chapter 25 - Haste

    [What do you mean Rose is going away?]


    "She said they are sending her to Regarth early," Lily worriedly explained. "It''s a boarding school, so students live there! Lady Desthu said it would be good for her to leave early and get settled, and that horrid woman claims she''s worried about controlling Rose''s temper!"


    Arakil sighed bitterly. Why did dragons always have to be such moody creatures?


    He understood that Lily desperately wanted to go with Rose to this school, and he also saw the benefits himself. Rose was an excellent guardian and would ensure Lily''s safety, especially while she was still in her foundation stages.


    Arakil also saw the benefit of Lily attending the school, as it would undoubtedly have greater resources than they could cobble together from a nearly retired alchemist and an orphanage.


    Not to mention, he wanted to see what one of the "greatest magical learning institutes" had to offer. That way, he would have an idea of how much magic had either regressed or perhaps even progressed in unforeseen ways. Undoubtedly, there would be strange developments in this world, barren of ambient Mana.


    "But now I''ve been put on a time limit¡­" Arakil sighed, the urgency of the situation weighing heavily on him. "Getting Lily into the school simultaneously with Rose is likely impossible. Even if we could grant her a Mana Core today, she wouldn''t be able to grow it to a suitable level if Rose were the indication of the entry requirements."


    "But¡­ Without Rose''s presence, our options will no doubt become more limited. Not only does she provide safety, but she also provides a means of leaving the confines of the orphanage. No doubt they might restrict her movements more substantially again, and I do not think we could involve the alchemist woman in our development." The potential consequences of Rose''s absence hung heavily in the air.


    "Arakil?" Lily asked, concern very much present in her voice. Arakil clicked his tongue in annoyance; he had evidently been talking to himself for too long and had left her waiting.


    [Apologies. I was trying to determine how to speed up our time frame. Without Rose''s help, I worry we might be greatly delayed.]


    "Oh¡­" Lily replied. "I''m sorry¡­ I just¡­ I don''t know what to do? I don''t want to lose Rose. I want to go with her!"


    [I understand completely. Although you must remember that even if you were both going to the same school, you''d still be separated by at least a year.]


    "What do you mean?" Lily asked, apparently baffled.


    [Unless schools have drastically changed since my time, aren''t there age requirements? Rose is older than you, and thus, you''d be forced to reach the minimum age to get into the school.]


    "Oh no¡­" Lily muttered. "I think you''re right¡­"


    Arakil sighed. Sometimes, it was so easy to overlook the obvious.


    [I have no doubt we can prepare you to join her when you meet the age requirement. But even with a year to prepare you, not having her present is undoubtedly a detriment. Do you know when she departs?]


    "I think she said just under two months¡­" Lily mumbled.


    Arakil cursed to himself. That was hardly any time at all.


    [I need to run some calculations¡­ I promise I''ll give you some form of answer in the morning.]


    "Okay¡­ Thanks, Arakil," Lily replied somberly.


    He hated leaving the girl depressed, but unless he sat down and puzzled together what he could, they''d be getting nowhere. He didn''t want to make a false promise on the spot just to cheer her up, so now he needed to buckle down.


    "We need a ritual expediently created yet still precise enough to work. Rather than creating multiple pages and glyphs over time, we could create a ritual site on a large enough scale that it could brute force a solution. Especially if we set up sub rituals arrays to power it up, like before..."


    He began to pull out multiple books at once, pulling fragments of information out of them one by one before planting them together into a compiled "book."


    "We would need a large area, relatively flat¡­ We could even transmute the area if required. I have the Mana to draw some inscriptions to turn the soil into stone, and I could even engrave the stone with another.


    "A few inscriptions to create the entire ritual site. That would solve Lily''s need to draw an overtly complex ritual for a one-time procedure. While I''m sure she''d love to learn the components, it just isn''t feasible at her current level and time frame."


    The more he postulated, the more he liked the idea. The biggest issue was that Rose and Lily would need to find a relatively unoccupied area that was safe from prying eyes. Especially if they can''t do the ritual set up in one go. The locals finding a giant stone engraving might cause quite a stir.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Then we just need fuel¡­ Another Mana potion for the primary ritual site would be the best bet. Ideally, we would have one for the sub-rituals, too, but I won''t bet on Lily procuring more than one in that time frame.


    "We can use glyph ink or any form of liquified Fairymoss. As long as it contains raw Mana, it shouldn''t matter too much¡­ If my Mana reserves were greater, I could imbue ink or some other liquid for the endeavor, but I''ll likely need every last drop to create the inscription scrolls to create our ritual site.


    "I''ll also need to start teaching Lily the proper meditation and breathing techniques. It''s going to be a struggle since she will be doing most of it blind, using a resource her body literally does not have, but it should be enough. When the day comes, the ritual will do the heavy lifting, and if the instructions are at least understood, when the Mana enters her body, she will be able to do as told."


    He continued to formulate, piecing together pieces of knowledge into his plan. Running the mental math in his head, he began estimating the chance of success and became more pleased with the odds.


    But¡­ Arakil was never one to leave things to chance. He was a man of contingencies and backups. So he pulled out one last tome of knowledge. A last resort, something that no doubt Lily would hate and refuse. But¡­ There was Rose.


    "All the more reason that we must do it before she leaves. While Lily and I can enact it without her, I do not know if I can come up with a contingency without the help of the dragon girl."


    Arakil sighed.


    "The only issue is that I can''t communicate with her, at least through my book. And there''s no way Lily would tell Rose the idea. This means I''d need to create another scroll to be activated on the day, convey my message to Rose through illusory writing, and pray that I haven''t misjudged how much she cares about Lily."


    He began tapping his finger against his chin repeatedly as he thought.


    "There will no doubt be consequences¡­ Lily will feel betrayed, even if it''s for her own good. Hopefully, she will see the bigger picture eventually¡­ I will just have to ensure that once I regain her trust, I do not break it again¡­


    "Or perhaps I''m being silly, and things will work on the first try without a hitch. My contingency will be a waste, and everything will go swimmingly."


    He chuckled darkly.


    "No¡­ I do not trust my luck to be so accommodating. This sudden time limit is clearly proof enough. Which means a backup plan will need to be put in place. I''ll have to lie and tell Lily it''s an inscription to be torn during the ritual for its success. I guess it''s a good thing I haven''t taught her the illusion crest yet."


    Although the plan was in place, Arakil spent some time looking for other refinements for the ritual. When he felt like he had hit his limit, he began plotting the preparations for the inscriptions he needed to draw.


    He began with a relatively simple inscription to turn soil into stone in a specific area of effect. Once that was done, he started working on the inscription to engrave the stone into the ritual configuration. It was a complex formation as it needed to be open to sub-rituals'' aid.


    He began drafting a few designs for various sub-rituals when he felt confident in his research. He had to refine them as much as possible to work with a minuscule amount of resources. They would quite literally be throwing everything into this project, and they couldn''t afford to fail.


    "I do not know if I''ll have enough Mana to create all of these¡­ Creating the full ritual site may be a multi-day affair. Which means that its secrecy is of the utmost importance."


    He sighed and tried to find any further refinements or cost-saving measures he could think of. Again, when he felt like he had exhausted all potential avenues, he finally moved on to the potentially last step.


    Arakil finally began planning his message spell for Rose. It needed to be convincing enough for her to step in and take action, even if Lily resisted.


    His biggest regret was that the message would need to be delivered at the start of the ritual, as there was no way he could get Lily to tear it during the procedure. She would need to focus entirely on meditation and breathing techniques.


    "Which means that even if there''s no need to intervene, the revelation of my betrayal is within the hands of Rose," Arakil muttered. "Truly unfortunate¡­ I just have to hope that bridges can be mended. Or perhaps Rose will not reveal the deception and believe I truly had Lily''s best intentions in mind."


    He hated the deception. But he needed the safety net. While Lily''s safety was unlikely to be compromised by the ritual failing, it would undoubtedly cripple her chances at a second chance of creating the Mana Core.


    With his plans in motion, the only thing left he could do was triple-check his drafts while waiting for Lily to awaken.


    ***


    Lily had a very unpleasant night of sleep. Things were finally going so well, and now Rose was suddenly leaving? What she couldn''t understand was why Rose wasn''t fighting it more. A worm of doubt crept into her mind.


    Does she secretly want to go? Has she given up on me joining her?


    "Good morning, Arakil¡­" Lily mumbled.


    [Good morning, Lily. I have scoured my books and put together a solution that I trust will give us the best shot at success.]


    "To get me Mana before Rose leaves, get her to stay, or let me follow her?" Lily asked.


    [To grant you, Mana. I cannot control the whims of others, but time is of the essence, and with Mana, you can work on joining Rose at Regarth.]


    "Really?" Lily asked, sounding somewhat doubtful.


    [We will enact a ritual to grant you a Mana Core. It will sit opposite to your heart and grow along with you. While it will start small, it has nearly infinite potential, and you will be able to nurture it. With a year to catch up, you will be in the prime position to join that school!]


    Even though it was through written text, Lily swore she could feel Arakil''s confidence imbued within the ink itself. She nodded happily, her drooped ears regaining their usual perkiness.


    She touched the right side of her chest as if imagining it. A Mana Core¡­ Right here! I''d be able to cast spells! And I''ll be able to grow it!


    "That sounds amazing! So what do we need to do? How long will it take? Do we need more Mana potions? Glyph ink?" Lily questioned with unbridled curiosity.


    [It should be doable within our time limit. I would say yes to all your listed resources, as any reserves would go a long way. We must construct a secluded ritual site where nobody can stumble upon and potentially sabotage it.


    I will create inscriptions to lay the foundation and create the work, and then it will be up to you and Rose to finalize it and ultimately activate it.


    Furthermore, you will need to learn meditation and breathing techniques, which will be crucial to forming the Mana Core. I won''t mince words, but studying the method without any existing Mana will be difficult. I believe in you.]


    Lily nodded. While she had no idea what breathing or meditation had to do with creating a Mana Core, she would surely give it all her effort and energy.

 Chapter 26 - Compromise

    The rest of the day went by without much trouble, although Lily felt like she had a knot in her stomach for the entirety of it. Camilla must have noticed it and even asked what was wrong eventually during work.


    Lily hesitated at first but decided opening up wouldn''t do any harm.


    "Rose is going to Regarth early¡­ She will be leaving without me," She explained.


    Camilla seemed slightly surprised initially but soon recovered as she saw some underlying logic in the decision.


    "I guess that makes sense. She will probably need some settling in since she''s not the typical kid they bring in..." Camilla paused to sigh. "Is there anything I can do to help?"


    Lily was about to shake her head but quickly realized this was a golden opportunity. "I need to buy one more Mana potion within a month. And get as much Fairymoss as you can supply."


    "Girl¡­ What are you plotting?" Camilla asked cautiously.


    "Nothing bad," Lily replied, quickly adding, "Or dangerous, I promise you. I need to get it done before Rose leaves. Please, Miss Camilla. It''s my only chance."


    Camilla was reluctant but eventually nodded. "I guess I can get you to start drawing more for me to stock up on. It''ll bleed me dry, quite literally, and I''ll be taking it out of your future wages!"


    Lily nodded happily, ears flopping energetically.


    That was one problem potentially solved, and now she just needed to get Rose on board to discuss Arakil''s plan.


    ***


    They had gathered in Lily''s room as usual. Rose sat on the bed while Lily sat at her small desk, with Arakil''s book lying open on it.


    Rose looked a little uncomfortable, as it had only been a day since she announced she would leave early. Lily swore she also looked a little guilty. Her eyes were downcast, and her shoulders were slumped, starkly contrasting her usual confident posture.


    "I''m really sorry, Lily¡­ Lady Desthu isn''t giving me an option here after I punched my teacher. She says it''s important to get me through this whole¡­ Dragon thing. Then I''ll have more control over my emotions."


    "No¡­ I understand," Lily shook her head and floppy ears. "You''ve been really hot-headed lately¡­ I just wish it wasn''t so unexpected and last minute."


    "I was lucky to get almost two months¡­ She wanted to leave the next day until I begged!" Rose exclaimed.


    Lily gasped. That would have been absurd, basically abduction!


    "Well¡­ I''m glad I have you for now¡­ And then I''ll join you at Regarth when I''m old enough."


    "Lily¡­" Rose mumbled, then Lily held out her hand to stop her saying more.


    "No, listen, Rose. Arakil has a plan; we are going to do a big ritual and form a Mana Core! This Mana Core is a powerful source of magic that will enable me to cast spells and take the test to join you at Regarth. I''ll be a year behind you, but that''s fine; you''re my big sister, after all."


    Rose sighed but felt the sides of her mouth crooked up into a smile. "Okay, so what''s this crazy plan you''ve cooked up?"


    Lily nodded happily and pulled out some of the pages explaining the initial steps Arakil had produced. Although Rose still couldn''t read them, Lily needed to.


    "Arakil wants us to find a secluded spot, somewhere safe with very few people. It needs to be at least 30 meters in diameter and smooth. When we locate it, he will first transmute the soil into stone. The next step will be engraving the stone into a ritual site."


    "Engraving the stone?" Rose asked. "I know your penmanship is extremely good, but I doubt you''re strong enough to use a chisel or whatever. And I doubt I have the dexterity to do it neat enough."


    Lily giggled. "No, silly, we will do all of it with magic!"


    Rose opened her mouth before snapping it shut. Her teeth clinked together.


    Seeing her reaction, Lily giggled again before continuing. "I can''t leave the city without supervision, and I don¡¯t think it would be safe to do so¡­ So I was hoping you''d maybe explore around a bit to find our spot?"


    Rose nodded. "Sure¡­ I can do that, although I''m guessing you''ll have to come eventually."


    "Yes¡­ I need to activate the glyphs and inscriptions Arakil will make for us. Then inspect that all of it is connected correctly."


    "Isn''t this going to cost a lot of Mana? Something neither of you really have in good abundance?" Rose questioned.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes¡­ Which is why we might need to set it up in stages. I will also be doing lots of glyphs for Camilla, and I asked for another Mana potion and Fairymoss. I''m using all my savings!" Lily said, determination flickering in her eyes.


    Rose tapped her finger against her chin. "Why don''t you use some of my blood to draw glyphs?" Lily was about to object, as she usually did, but Rose quickly silenced her with a raised finger.


    "Think about it, Lily¡­ I understand I can''t draw them, but if I only need to activate them, then that should be fine. You can tell me what to do, and I''ll do it. I know you''re averse to using blood, but you''ve been using Camilla''s! You don''t have Mana, and I do, so why not pool our resources?"


    Lily nodded slowly, but her ears drooped, indicating she wasn''t pleased about it. "But¡­ I can''t draw the ritual inscription¡­ It''s too much even for me. What do you think, Arakil?"


    [I think Rose''s suggestion is logical. It would be very useful as we are starved for resources. While I don''t think you can currently do the main ritual''s inscription, you''re more than qualified to copy out the sub-rituals. I can do the first one, and then you can do the rest using Rose''s blood ink.]


    Lily conveyed the message somewhat reluctantly.


    "See! Even the book agrees with me," Rose teased.


    "Fine!" Lily agreed grumpily. "I just don''t like the idea of using blood... But I guess it would be stupid not to do so in this case. I''d hate for the ritual to fail because we weren''t frugal enough..."


    "Great!" Rose said. "I''m glad I can finally help out... Besides being your chaperone and occasional herb picker, I''ve felt a little left out with helping you progress."


    "Don''t say that, Rose... You''ve been more than helpful. Plus, you''re my emotional support as well!" Lily said cheerfully.


    Rose grinned. "I guess I''ve got to find a perfect spot for us then."


    "Just promise me you''ll be safe..." Lily murmured.


    "Ha!" Rose chuckled smugly. "I think whatever creatures are in or near the forest will have to watch out for me! I''m not the same girl I was back then; I could easily beat a dire hawk with one fiery punch!"


    "As long as it''s monsters and not teachers this time..." Lily teased.


    "Bah. That old man had it coming. I''m obviously going to specialize in fire magic, so why get so butthurt if my other magic is a little less good?"


    "Insurance?" Lily suggested. "Like... What if you fight a monster that''s immune to fire."


    "Then I punch it!" Rose replied proudly.


    "What if you can''t punch it?" Lily asked.


    "Well..." Rose trailed off, then grinned. "I do want a sword as well, or maybe an axe? A giant big axe?"


    "Ugh... You know what I mean..." Lily pouted. "But I guess you do have your strength to fall back on."


    "Yup!" Rose nodded. "Also, in the worst case, if it''s something that can only be beaten magically, and fire is not an option. Can''t I rely on you to solve that for me?"


    Lily blushed. Then nodded frantically, ears flopping to and fro. "Yes!"


    They spent the rest of the evening chatting, and Lily showed off some of her drawings to Rose, who could only admire their artistic look more than their magical composition.


    When Rose finally left for her own room, Lily and Arakil continued conversing. Arakil first provided Lily with a blueprint for the sub-ritual, which she would need to practice flawlessly to replicate.


    She needed to practice it thoroughly because, unlike with any of her other glyphs, she would not be able to have Arakil inspect the final product this time. Arakil''s pages utterly rejected any blood that contained Mana, so Lily would be forced to draw it unsupervised on regular parchment.


    It''s a good thing I have so much leftover paper from my scribe work! Still... With something as complicated as this, I wish I could have Arakil confirm it for me. I''ll just have to get him to judge my normal ink work as much as possible before doing the real thing!


    The other thing Arakil did was give her some meditation and breathing exercises. These would be key for her during the ritual as she would need to start guiding the Mana through her and into a Core.


    Arakil drew a picture for Lily to focus on during her meditation, which looked like an infinite spiral to her. She would need to be able to visualize the symbol perfectly, and during the ritual, she would mentally manipulate the raw Mana to follow this pattern.


    While Lily had tremendous patience, sitting entirely still was quite challenging for her. Her mind kept trying to wander, thinking about all the exciting things she would be able to eventually do or creeping doubts that would worm their way in. Arakil stressed that she would need to practice this as much as possible and lamented not being able to instruct her verbally.


    [If you''re struggling too greatly after a few days of trial, perhaps I could compose a mantra for Rose to read aloud while your eyes are closed? It is the only further aid I can think of since, at present, I can only converse through text.]


    "Maybe..." Lily muttered. "It just feels a bit embarrassing, like I need someone to read me a bedtime story."


    [This is crucial, Lily. It might seem silly since you cannot sense any Mana at present, but you need to be ready to seize it the moment you do during the ritual.]


    "Don''t worry, Arakil. I promise if I get stuck, I''ll ask for help."


    [Excellent. Once you''ve made some gains in meditation, I''ll provide you with a new crest to learn. Let that serve as further motivation.]


    Lily felt her eyes sparkling. It was a little underhanded but very effective motivation. Immediately, her thoughts raced, trying to imagine what sort of crest it would be. Despite Arakil mentioning there were countless crests, he always seemed to only introduce a new one to her at very specific moments, so they always felt like grand moments to her.


    Unfortunately, such thoughts completely shattered any hope of her progressing with the meditation that evening. She gave up and made better use of the time trying to trace the sub-ritual.


    Just staring at the page made Lily almost gulp; it was one of the most intricate things she had ever seen. She hardly recognized anything on the page, which shocked and surprised her.


    I would have thought I''d at least recognize a few shaping or movement sigils, but this looks like an entirely other language!


    When she was done with her first and last tracing for the evening, due to how late it was and how long it took, she immediately asked Arakil about it.


    [You''re partially correct. This is an existing ritual that I''m translating into an inscription. You may as well treat it as a unique language, and without years of study, you''d struggle to make heads or tails with most of this.]


    "So I shouldn''t be focused too much on learning this?" Lily asked. "If it''s another language... I think the rules for glyphs and sigils are quite a lot already..."


    [Correct. Rituals are another beast entirely. I''d highly recommend trying to keep them out of your mind until you are further along in your training. I''ll gladly teach you once you are older, established in your magic, and we have a better communication method.]


    Lily nodded. After thanking Arakil for his lessons and wishing him a goodnight, she slowly climbed into bed.


    I can''t believe it''s finally happening! Thanks to Arakil and Rose, I''ll finally be able to become a mage!

 Chapter 27 - Roses Outing

    Rose was having a good day. She really hadn''t expected her weekend to be this exciting.


    Her task was simple: find a remote location in the forest for this so-called ritual. The forest itself wasn''t that dangerous due to its proximity to the town, so the monster population was routinely culled down to an acceptable level.


    Not that any of the monsters could stand up to a dragon!


    Her body seemed to revel in this. What few monsters she had encountered had practically fled in terror when they spotted her approaching before she dispatched them with either a kick, punch, or gout of flame if they fled out of her reach.


    It felt good.


    Rose found herself looking forward to the trip with Lady Desthu more and more and wondered what type of monsters they would hunt. Would they hunt bigger ones? Would it be a more fitting challenge? She felt a beating, pulsing heat rising within her chest.


    She eventually snapped back to reality when she recalled her current mission. Finding a spot for Lily.


    It''s too bad she can''t come with us. Sure, she didn''t get much from those two birds, but if she was close by and I killed something big, then surely even she would gain something, right?


    Rose had no idea. She had tried obtaining more information about it from Lady Desthu, but she had been unsuccessful so far.


    "Rose, if you''d like to find out so quickly, we can happily move up our schedule instead of waiting around," Lady Desthu threatened.


    Rose shuddered, not because of what the stuck-up lady had said but because she herself had nearly been tempted to give in to those words.


    I really need to get this dragon thing sorted out. As much as I hate her, I can also understand the logic behind it. If I go to a school like this, I might start punching all the teachers and pupils. It''s certainly not a good way to make friends or get through the school years. I don''t want to be a bully like Tim.


    Trying to get rid of the negative thoughts in her head, she broke into a light jog as she tried to scout a bit deeper into the forest. She felt she had boundless energy that needed to be expended, and she would jump over rocks or logs just because she could.


    But still, what exactly am I looking for here? It''s not like I''m going to find a secret underground lair¡­ Or a cave behind a waterfall. I don''t want to bring Lily too deep into the forest, but at this rate, that might be the only solution. If it''s far enough away from the city, then even casual explorers might not come across it.


    She started going deeper. There was a section of the forest with a lot of undergrowth, and to progress, you had to cut through the wild vegetation.


    A natural deterrent for any would-be wanderers? Rose postulated.


    She easily tore through the underbrush with her bare hands and claws. It had certainly inconvenienced her everyday life while they were still in the process of growing, but once they had fully formed, she could almost "retract" them in a way.


    A battle mode and an everyday mode.


    After finally breaking through a good 50 meters of underbrush, Rose finally entered what looked like a relatively open clearing. A hidden glade?


    This¡­ Might be perfect? It looks like it might be large enough to work with. Although I''d be willing to bet something has probably made this their home.


    Rose began cautiously entering the glade as she searched for the possible occupants. Despite a lack of formal training, she thought she was being perfectly stealthy. Her optimism was proven unfounded when a low growl suddenly came from her flank before a large blackish-gray creature lunged for her.


    A dire wolf!


    Rather than fear, Rose felt exhilaration. That constant thrumming heat in her chest began to swell as she raised her arms to block the incoming fangs.


    The pouncing wolf''s fangs snapped down on her arm, although due to all her newly grown scales, it barely punctured her flesh more than a blood trickle. The wolf started trying to ravage her arm by jerking its head to and fro.


    Rose gave off a savage grin as she quickly performed a dropkick motion with her leg into the wolf''s gut. The impact was loud, followed by a slight whimper from the wolf, but it still clutched onto her arm as if trying to sever it.


    "You''ll need much sharper fangs to get my arm, you mangy mutt!" Rose taunted as she swung her free arm.


    Before her fist made contact with the wolf, it burst with a wreath of flames. When the blow hit the monster, an explosive gout of flame seemed to almost punch through it and continue its trajectory.


    This time, the wolf let go of her arm as it flinched back in abhorrent pain. It was likely contemplating retreat, but Rose was too fast, and she pounced on it.


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    Her clawed nails had fully extended, and she began tearing into the dire wolf. To any observer, they might wonder who truly was the beast in this situation as Rose seemed to lose herself in the moment. That thrumming heat was now a full percussion orchestra; it egged her to continue fighting.


    She punched, she tore, and she burned. If she fully gave in to the instincts screaming at her, she might have even taken a bite out of the dire wolf! But thankfully, she held enough sanity to not consume any monster flesh.


    Her victory was apparent when her final blow against the beast broke off a large black chunk of it. The indicator that the monster was dead and losing its form.


    Gods! That felt exhilarating! My blood is on fire!


    She didn''t feel tired or even injured. She just felt good. There was a burning, tingling sensation from her lower back, but she ignored it as she basked in the glow of triumph.


    As she watched the monster flake away into black particles, her victorious aftermath was suddenly cut short. She heard far more growling. Turning her head, she saw a much larger dire wolf followed by two more.


    The pack leader and its mates?


    Rose growled in response, and a flaming aura kindled around her. The grass she stood on even wilted and singed.


    I guess it''s finally time to put my magic lessons to use! She thought positively.


    Despite being outnumbered, no fear had crept into her heart; it was as if some primal part of her denied such inferiority. As if almost in a trance, she reached for the Mana in her blood, and it answered in full force! It had never come to her this easily before, and she couldn''t help but feel exhilarating excitement.


    She raised her arms to the sky. A large ball of flame burst into existence and kept growing in size. She rapidly fed that ball of flame while her blood boiled.


    The wolves suddenly seemed less confident and began almost instinctively backing off. But Rose wasn''t about to let them escape. She swung her arms and sent the ball of flame hurtling towards them.


    The wolves tried to scatter, but the unexpected speed of the spell was too much, and they had barely gained any distance before it struck their previous position.


    Boom!


    A massive explosion echoed throughout the forest, followed by the sounds of squawks and fleeing wildlife that overheard the commotion. One of the wolves had instantly burnt to a crisp in the explosion, while the other two looked like they would succumb to their burn wounds shortly.


    The pack leader was still standing, although most of its fur was burnt, exposing singed, raw flesh. Rather than yelping in pain, it answered with snarling anger¡ªperhaps even rage at losing one of its mates.


    Not that Rose cared; it was a monster in front of her, and monsters were to be put down.


    She sprinted toward the wolf, flame gathering in her fists again as she prepared to strike it. The wolf, however, was prepared this time and dodged to the side before lunging at her.


    Rose wanted to raise her arms or perhaps kick, but instead, she instinctually swung her hips to the side. A reddish-scaled shape blurred and slammed into the flank of the airborne dire wolf, sending it scattering to the side.


    Rose blinked in confusion as she felt the impact against the wolf but ignored the questions for now. She had a monster to kill!


    To counterattack, she lunged at the wolf, but rather than a fist, her hands were outstretched, and the flames coated her claws. It looked like she had manifested a gauntlet of flame as she swiped at the beast.


    The claws, both flame and draconic, dug deep into the monster''s flesh. It howled in pain before snapping back at her. She tried to block, but this was a mistake. She had expected her scaled arms to be enough, but this wolf had far sharper fangs and a much more powerful jaw.


    She yelled out in pain when she felt the teeth sink deep into her flesh. And then she saw red. She let out a roar that echoed throughout the glade. The wounded wolves whimpered in terror, but the pack leader just clenched harder.


    Rose began punching with her free arm before resorting to clawing and tearing. When that didn''t work, she started kicking with her legs, but the wolf refused to let go and began thrashing as if trying to sever her arm.


    The heat in her chest was now a blazing furnace. She sucked in the air. Shecould hear the burning intensity deep within. And then she expelled all the heat, all the rage, from within her chest.


    Intense flames erupted out of her mouth, so powerful she felt they might unhinge her jaw from the backlash or even roast her own flesh. But when the fire collided with the wolf and swept across her bleeding limb, it felt more like a soothing warmth rather than burning pain.


    This was her flame! It wouldn''t dare burn its mistress!


    The wolf still didn''t let go, but it didn''t matter. Amongst the blackened char were the familiar black flakes of a dying monster. Even dying, the wolf refused to relent, and it literally perished with its jaws snapped shut on her arm, its last act of defiance as the dire wolf pack leader.


    Rose tore its jaw off with her free hand when it flaked away enough. She flexed the injured arm a little to ensure it hadn''t become too wounded. She had expected more blood, but the flame had almost cleansed her arm, and even the puncture wounds were starting to look partially cauterized.


    She glanced around at her surroundings. The adrenaline and burning within her both smoldered down. There was fire everywhere.


    "Oh gods¡­ This is going to burn down the entire glade!" Rose exclaimed in panic.


    She also saw that the remaining wolves were still alive, and that was when she had an idea. She reached out with both her arms and breathed in deeply.


    "Ignis colliget in manu mea," Rose chanted.


    The surrounding flames seemed to awaken and jumped at her magical command. They began to coalesce into a ball within the palm of her hands.


    "Yes! I did it!" Rose said excitedly.


    She had collected the flame, stopping the fire spread, and now she had a spell to finish the job on the last few wolves. She hurled the ball of flame at the whimpering dire wolves.


    Part of her wondered if she was being too ruthless, but she easily swatted away that niggling doubt. Monsters attacked anyone not of their kind; there was no mercy needed for such creatures. They both died, and she once again basked in her victory.


    She felt great. She felt stronger.


    "I almost want to go run off with Lady Desthu right now!" Rose admitted.


    Now, she just needed to check if there were any remaining dire wolves in this small glade. If she cleared it out entirely, then it would be perfect.


    She felt a small chill run up her lower spine. She glanced and nearly screamed at what she saw.


    A tail. A long, large, red-scaled dragon tail was dangling down. It had somehow grown tremendously, likely fueled by all the monsters she had killed. And it had completely shredded through the back of her pants!


    "My pants!" Rose cried out in dismay.


    She had finally found a shop with clothes she actually liked, which specialized in garments for tailed individuals. And now, with the sudden growth, she had thoroughly ruined one of her few good pairs of pants.


    "Ugh¡­ This sucks¡­" Rose muttered in dismay.

 Chapter 28 - Planning

    Lily gasped when she saw Rose. Judging by her ragged appearance, she looked like she had wrestled with the entire forest. But surprisingly, there was no blood or visible wounds on her.


    But that wasn''t the cause of her gasp. No. Rose was now sporting a massively large tail!


    What was once a small, almost cute, tadpole-like tail had transformed into a thick, long appendage. The red draconic scales that now covered it gave it a rather intimidating appearance and it seemed to be growing something akin to a spike at the tip.


    "What happened!?" Lily asked, pointing to the tail.


    Perhaps a true reflection of Rose''s emotions, the tail began to sway back and forth a bit. Almost¡­ Embarrassedly?


    "It grew¡­ And ruined my pants¡­" Rose said somberly. "I found some dire wolves, and it must have hastened my dragon¡­ Thing. Starting with the tail."


    "Dire wolves? You fought dire wolves?" Lily asked with shock.


    "Yeah, they weren''t so tough! I found a small glade that I think would be the perfect spot for this ritual thing. The only issue was it was home to a bunch of dire wolves, so I cleaned it out!" Rose bragged, her pride evident in her voice.


    Lily wanted to scold Rose for being so reckless but instead decided to praise her. She was clearly upset about the tail situation and looked rather proud of beating dire wolves.


    "That''s amazing! You''re basically an adventurer already!" Lily said cheerfully.


    Rose blushed and giggled. "I know, right? I''m the most awesome big sister there is. I even used some magic to clean up the fire afterward!"


    "Amazing!" Lily exclaimed. "I thought you might have just punched them to death."


    "Well, there was a lot of punching, but also a lot of fire!" Rose began excitedly explaining what happened.


    She let her tell the tale without any interruption. The whole thing sounded like something an adventurer would do, and Lily was captivated, even if Rose was embellishing it a bit. She even grew her tail in the middle of battle and instinctively used it! That sounded exactly like the hero in a story getting the power-up they needed to win!


    Lily was truly awed by Rose''s retelling.


    One day¡­ I''ll be able to do something like that, too! Lily wished deep in her heart.


    Before eating, they both bathed, where Lily saw some of Rose''s injuries. After cleaning up, she insisted on giving Rose some medical treatment even if the stubborn dragon insisted it would heal on its own.


    At the bottom of Lily''s cupboard was almost a small collection of herbal remedies from her lessons at Camilla. The woman had let her keep a small portion of the items she produced as a memento. Lily didn''t really care, but she was glad to finally have a use for some of it before it potentially expired or diminished in quality.


    "Now, this will sting a little, but make sure you don''t remove it!" Lily insisted.


    Rose let out a chortle. "I took a bite from a dire wolf. I don''t think a little medicinal paste is going to¡ªAGH!" She yelled with a flinch.


    "I did warn you!" Lily said with a mischievous giggle.


    "Are you sure this is going to heal me?" Rose asked doubtfully. I swear it shouldn''t sting this much."


    Lily pouted. "Yes, it will. And it''ll not even leave a scar!"


    "Oh¡­ That''s handy," Rose admitted. "I just wish it didn''t feel like I had bees under my skin."


    "That means it''s working!" Lily responded, trying and failing to give her best impression of Camilla.


    Rose snorted a laugh, and both girls giggled. They then relayed how things had been proceeding on their ends, their bond growing stronger with each shared experience.


    It had been a few days since their original meeting, during which they discussed the plan to proceed with the ritual. Their determination was palpable, and things were proceeding rather smoothly so far.


    Rose had solved one of the biggest outstanding issues by locating a potential ritual site. Now, Lily just had to overcome her biggest personal hurdle¡ªmeditation.


    Lily hated it. Her mind was too active to sit entirely still and focus only on the meditation. Arakil had said it would be simpler if she could sense the Mana, but since she was doing it effectively blind, it was like trying to learn how to swordfight without a sword or even a stick to practice with!


    At least on the tracing front, she had successfully reproduced the sub-ritual Arakil had designed. It was still completely beyond her understanding, but at least she was drawing it correctly.


    Work with Camilla was also proceeding smoothly; as promised, she had placed orders for more Mana herbs. Lily had handed over practically all her savings to the woman with some reluctance, but she didn''t want any screw-ups with the ritual, and they would need as much raw Mana as they could get their hands on.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Lily also prodded Camilla for information about how she created the blood ink. She wasn''t kidding when she said it was an easy process.


    Effectively, she just mixed a preset amount of her blood in some ink. Lily was almost dumbfounded by the ease of the solution, and once again, it only explained why nobody bothered with plant-based glyph ink anymore.


    Now, the only issue was discovering how much of Rose''s blood to mix into the ink to not overwhelm it. The correct mixture ratio was important; Rose undoubtedly had much more potent blood than Camilla.


    Arakil had suggested doing a test with a rather simple light glyph, as by examining the intensity of the produced glowing orb, you could get a relatively accurate idea of the quality of the Mana. Although Lily had been avoiding it with the excuse that she wanted to get more practice with copying out the sub-ritual.


    Before they went to bed, Rose helped Lily try to complete her meditation. Arakil had given her some verbal mantras to read while she tried to focus, and Lily had transcribed them so they were readable to anyone else.


    "You know, this technique is actually really similar to what they had us do during our magic class," Rose pointed out.


    "Well, it is meant to feel and control the flow of your Mana," Lily responded.


    "I wonder... If I started practicing this method, would it help me get any better?" Rose asked curiously.


    "Maybe?" Lily shrugged. "Although this one is designed to get your Mana to focus into a singular point. I''m not sure how useful that will be for you. We could ask Arakil for a different method for you."


    Rose hummed in thought. "Actually, focusing my Mana into a singular point might be useful. I could make a super fireball spell!"


    "Please be safe!" Lily insisted.


    "Yeah, yeah," Rose shrugged it off. "Fire can''t seem to harm me anyway. But I''ll ensure that I don''t do it indoors or with anything flammable nearby."


    "We could just ask Arakil?" Lily suggested again.


    "Maybe later. I can''t say I''m too interested in learning a new meditation method right now; it was more just idle curiosity. It took me long enough to learn this one and feel the Mana in my blood."


    After taking a deep breath through her nose, Lily nodded, closed her eyes, and then slowly exhaled through her mouth.


    "Right¡­ Let''s get started," Rose said softly.


    Even with Rose''s words trying to help her focus, her mind kept dancing from subject to subject. How would Mana feel inside her? Will the Mana Core hurt? How big will it grow? What should be the first spell to learn? These were just a few of the rapid-fire introspections that plagued her mind now that she had no physical stimulus to keep her occupied.


    "Focus, Lily!" Rose reprimanded her. "I can see you''re getting distracted¡­"


    "Yes, Miss Rose¡­" Lily replied sarcastically.


    "That''s Lady Rose to you!" Rose snapped back in an equal tone.


    Both girls giggled.


    ***


    "Just a few drops!" Lily repeated again.


    "Yes, yes¡­ I understand; stop being so nitpicky over this, Lily." Rose said, rolling her eyes.


    "It''s important," Lily emphasized. "You were the one who wanted us to use your blood for glyphs; now, we need to make sure the amounts are precise."


    "I just expected it to be more¡­ Flashy, ''ya know?" Rose said with a shrug.


    "Well, this is a light glyph, so it will be extremely flashy," Lily answered deadpan.


    "You know what I mean," Rose sighed. "Okay, five drops!"


    Exposing the underside of her arm, she extended one of her clawed nails and gently stabbed part of the fleshy bit between the scales. Blood was almost immediately produced, and after letting it collect on her claw, she extended the finger over the vial of ink Lily was holding.


    They counted out the drops together, and Lily immediately pulled back the vial before corking it and shaking it up to mix the contents. When she ran out of steam from shaking the vial, she started swirling it around gently before holding it up for both of them to examine. The once black ink was now visibly red despite such a small quantity.


    "Well, this is exciting!" Rose said, admiring the mixture.


    "I just hope this works," Lily said, pulling out one of her old pens she was sacrificing for this endeavor.


    She began drawing out the glyph with pen, parchment, and ink in hand. Unlike Arakil''s paper, this one accepted Rose''s blood without any issue, and soon Lily was in a trance as she drew the glyph to her utmost capabilities.


    Part of her wanted to add efficiencies to the glyph, but that wasn''t the point of this exercise, and she had to regretfully deny the little nitpicking she had partially inherited from Arakil.


    "Okay, it''s done!" Lily said proudly and handed Rose the small piece of parchment.


    "Dang, you draw quickly. I think that would have taken me an hour at minimum!" Rose complimented as she examined the handiwork up close.


    "Lots of practice. I''m sure you could do it as well," Lily replied, although she still blushed slightly, feeling happy to have her efforts recognized.


    "Now remember, you just let a trickle of your Mana flow into it to activate it. Don''t go overboard, or you might contaminate the test results!"


    Rose nodded, and after an involuntary throat clear, she let the Mana flow into the page. Abruptly, a sphere of pure white light arose from the page and floated in place.


    "Ah!" Both girls let out a startled cry and shut their eyes. The light was far brighter than either of them expected.


    "I think we overdid it, Lily!" Rose said, her eyes shut tight. "My eyes are burning; it was like staring directly into the sun for hours!"


    "You''re exaggerating!" Lily protested. "But still¡­ This is definitely too much!"


    "How do we stop it?" Rose asked.


    "Tear the page or wait for it to run out of Mana!" Lily answered. "It''s a continuous glyph, so it needs to remain intact for it to function."


    "I dropped the page, though!" Rose replied sheepishly. "H-how long do you think it''ll last for?"


    "It could be hours, maybe even days, I''m not sure," Lily admitted. "Your blood is kind of crazy, Camilla''s didn''t do anything like this.


    Rose winced as she tried to squint with her eyes to locate the page. She eventually dropped to the floor and started blindly fumbling around for it. Lily eventually joined her in the blind hunt. Eventually, Rose found it and hastily tore the page in two.


    "Did that do it?" She asked, wincing.


    "I think so¡­" Lily murmured. "But I still see colors when I blink."


    "So¡­ Three drops next time?" Rose asked with a grin.


    "I was thinking only two!" Lily immediately countered.


    "Yeah¡­ You''re probably right," Rose nodded. "Still, I''m glad to know my blood is good for something!"


    "Imagine if we didn''t get the mixture right¡­" Lily murmured. "Instead of inscribing the sub-ritual into the stone, it might be inscribed deep into the ground! Or maybe a hundred meters wide instead of only a few!"


    "I agree with you! Don''t shoot the supplier!" Rose teased.


    Lily sighed. "Sorry¡­ I just need this to work."


    Rose patted her on the head, rubbing her big floppy ears. "Don''t worry; with the three of us working together, nobody can stop us!"

 Chapter 29 - Foundation

    "So this is the spot?" Lily asked, looking around curiously.


    It had been a week since Rose originally discovered the hidden glade, and now they were heading out to make the initial preparations. Rose had made almost daily trips to the location to ensure that no monsters overtook it and that Lily would be safe enough to be escorted.


    Not that Lily was entirely helpless. She still held the attack spell inscription that Arakil had given her, and she had three shield glyphs that she had made herself. She was quite proud of herself in that regard and almost secretly hoped that she would get a chance to try it out.


    Rose had cautiously led the way and carved a safe path for Lily to follow. Lily had held onto the end of Rose''s tail as if it were a hand while being escorted.


    "Yeah, this is the spot. Killed a group of dire wolves right here!" Rose said proudly, pointing out patches of scorched ground.


    "This is amazing¡­" Lily said, now getting a much clearer view of the area. "And probably perfect! We need to measure it and find the best center position."


    "Great! Just let me double-check that nothing''s moved in," Rose said and briskly jogged around the glade, looking for any potential hidden foes.


    Lily began rummaging in her pouch for a piece of measuring string. She had cut it to Arakil''s specifications for the radius of the circle they would require.


    Once Rose returned, she handed her one end of the string. Working together, they found the best-unobstructed location, with Lily acting as the center point and Rose giving a full revolution to ensure they had the required space.


    Once they had located the area, Lily pulled out the first inscription that Arakil had told them to use.


    "Okay, so this will transmute the ground into a circle of stone," Lily explained.


    "Sounds pretty cool. Not that the stuff hasn''t been impressive, but I''m interested to actually see what magic this book of yours can do. Since I missed his spell killing that dire hawk the first time."


    "And you missed his magical star spell¡­ I wish I could show you that one! Hopefully, I can, when we have Mana to spare¡­"


    "It''s a promise then!" Rose said with a wink.


    Lily placed the page in their designated spot and then put a drop of ink from a pipette to activate it before briskly walking away to a safe distance. Arakil had included a countdown sigil that would only trigger the spell after 5 minutes, giving her plenty of time to retreat.


    "This is so exciting!" Lily squealed with joy.


    "I wish I started counting down when you activated it¡­ The suspense is killing me," Rose admitted.


    Lily nodded in agreement. They didn''t have to wait too long before the page began to glow suddenly. Even though Lily had received an explanation from Arakil, she still didn''t know what to expect. She hadn''t worked with an earth crest before, so most of the glyphs looked entirely foreign to her.


    The first thing that happened was a glowing outer ring appeared at the maximum perimeter. Lily and Rose both gasped as they watched what unfolded.


    A flash of light washed over the entire perimeter, instantly vaporizing any remaining grass or small plants on the surface. Then, the soil directly beneath the glowing ring began turning into a pale stone right before their eyes!


    Once there was a solid perimeter of stone, the glowing ring began to seep inwards towards the center, the pale-colored stone following after it.


    Both Lily and Rose were stunned, as while they knew there was likely more complex magic than this, neither of them had witnessed something on this scale. Even Rose, who had personally thrown about vast quantities of fire, had found such a display enthralling.


    When the ring ended up in the center, it waited for the growing stone to reach it. Once it did, the page dissolved, and the glowing ring burst out, giving a final glaze of light over the designated area. The final result left a perfect disc of stone.


    "That was so cool!" Rose shouted first.


    "I told you Arakil can do some crazy magic!" Lily said happily.


    Rose approached the stone and gingerly tapped it. "No kidding. I wonder how deep this is? It looks rock solid!"


    Lily groaned at the pun before giggling. "No idea. But let''s trigger the next inscription!"


    "What''s this one for?" Rose asked curiously.


    "It''s going to create a Mana gathering array, according to Arakil. It will saturate the rock with some Mana, keeping it intact until the ritual and hopefully giving it a boost."


    Rose whistled. "Sounds cool. Any idea when the big day is?"


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Big night, actually," Lily responded while ensuring she was selecting the right page Arakil had supplied.


    "Night?" Rose asked, tilting her head.


    "Arakil said that we should do it on the night of a full moon," Lily explained. "He said that outside factors can boost the performance of rituals. Full moons, eclipses, something called the equinox and solstice."


    "Oh¡­ That''s pretty cool, sounds very magical!" Rose said, feeling the excitement. "Although¡­ How will we get out at night? We have a curfew."


    Lily smiled mischievously. "Well¡­ It''s good that the new crest I finally learned is perfectly suited to help us!"


    "Oh?" Rose asked, her curiosity peaked.


    "I''ll show you when we get home. You''ll be in for a big surprise!" Lily teased.


    "Agh! Spoilsport," Rose whined. "So, let''s see this next spell?"


    Lily giggled again and pulled out the magical page. She stepped onto the slightly raised rocky dais and walked to the center. She couldn''t help but glance around at the magical transmuted stone surface with awe.


    She placed it in the center, applied another ink drop, and retreated hastily back to Rose. Rose tapped her finger against her arm, counting the time until activation.


    "Showtime!" Rose said excitedly right before the page burst into light.


    Like the previous spell, it first created a perimeter ring before it got to work. While the result of the last spell was magnificent, the presentation for this one was far more exhilarating.


    Within the ring, lines began to get drawn in the air, as if Arakil was somehow drawing an inscription right before their eyes. Rose was stunned into silence while Lily''s eyes sparkled with awe.


    Once the full inscription was drawn, the entire floating magical construct began to sink. Once it touched the stone, it immediately became iridescent gold. There was a sizzling noise, and then the golden light dimmed to silver before vanishing entirely. Like a magical branding iron, a full-length inscription was immediately left behind in the stone in a sparkling golden coating.


    "That was beautiful¡­" Rose finally murmured.


    Lily had never seen an inscription like this. It was entirely contained within two giant rings on the absolute edge of the rock, and then within the width of those two rings were countless tiny individual glyphs. The center of the stone was still completely blank to facilitate future engravings that would be filled out with rituals and sub-rituals.


    She tried her best to decipher some of it, but this was some advanced stuff that she couldn''t make heads or tails of no matter how much she stared at it. She noted that the multitude of tiny glyphs within the ring width was a repeating pattern of two different types. Her best guess was that one glyph was related to gathering Mana while the other was either for storing Mana or using it.


    "Is it safe to touch?" Rose asked, breaking Lily out of her observation.


    "Oh... Yes, it should be. I think it''s more like a stamp than an engraving," Lily responded. "Just don''t scratch it off with a claw or something."


    Rose nodded and gently ran her fingers across the smooth gold marking until she reached the stone, wanting to feel the difference in texture.


    "Woah!" Rose exclaimed excitedly. "I thought the smoothness was from the marking, but the stone itself is amazing! I think Lady Desthu would kill someone to have this for her flooring."


    "Maybe we could sell it when we are done?" Lily joked.


    Rose chuckled. "I''m strong, but I don''t think I could lug around a giant stone like this¡­ However, I wonder if we will need to break it or something afterward. Like¡­ Will leaving it here cause any trouble once the ritual is complete?"


    "Good question¡­" Lily murmured, tapping her finger against her lower lip. "I''ll have to ask Arakil about it. At the very least, we might need to break the engravings or something so nobody sees them. I don''t know if anyone knows how to read his inscriptions, but it''s better to be safe than sorry."


    Rose nodded. "So, is that it? Anything else we need to do?"


    "No, I think we are done for now," Lily replied with an affirming nod. "I will ask that you maybe check on it from time to time?"


    "Yeah, no problem," Rose shrugged. "I''ve almost made coming to this place like my daily jog, although I''m upset that I haven''t found any more monsters lately¡­ I think I might have scared them all off."


    "Well, you did kill a pack of dire wolves! I think you''re the alpha of the forest now," Lily teased.


    Rose burst out laughing, and Lily joined in with her giggles.


    ***


    When they returned to the orphanage, they had a great meal together and a lovely soothing bath. Then Rose demanded to see the new crest and glyph that Lily had teased her with earlier.


    "Okay¡­ I''ll be drawing it with some blood ink because I can''t afford to waste any of our glyph ink. We need to save every last drop¡­" Lily explained.


    "Oh, so I get to use it? Awesome!" Rose said, grinning.


    Lily drew the glyph, keeping its purpose a secret from Rose, who was staring at it curiously. This was technically her first time drawing it for real, but it was simple, and she felt confident in it. Arakil had certainly never found any fault with her test drawings, and even if she somehow made a mistake, this one couldn''t produce a harmful effect.


    She finished it quickly and then handed the finished product to Rose. "Okay, so what you''ll need to do is put in some Mana-"


    "Yeah, yeah, I know¡­" Rose muttered, taking the page and noting that the piece of paper was much smaller than normal.


    "-And then press the page against me," Lily finished.


    "Oh? That''s new?" Rose was surprised and stared defiantly at the page as if trying to decipher its secrets.


    "Yup! Arakil says they are nicknamed talismans. You place them on the thing you want to affect," Lily explained proudly.


    "Neat!" Rose said with a nod and gave up on trying to understand the glyph. "Okay, get ready!"


    "Just slap it on my shoulder or back while you channel Mana into it," Lily explained.


    Rose nodded and trickled her Mana into the small piece of paper. It started glowing faintly but remained untriggered, and then she slapped it lightly on Lily''s left shoulder.


    The page flashed with a purplish-black glow, and then Lily''s entire body disappeared into a shadowy blur.


    "What!?" Rose exclaimed and nearly jumped backward in surprise.


    Lily started making exaggerated ghost noises before giggling.


    Rose was looking particularly flabbergasted.


    "Spooky, right?" Lily asked, tilting her shadowy head.


    "What¡­ Is it? You''ve become like a shadow?" Rose asked.


    "Yup!" Lily said, her shadowy form bouncing slightly enthusiastically. "The new crest I got is Shadow! This one blankets your body in darkness to keep you hidden anywhere there isn''t bright light."


    Lily began sneaking around her room to demonstrate its effect. If she stuck to the dark corners, it was almost impossible to see her unless she was moving fast. When she turned off her lamp, Rose couldn''t see her at all.


    "That is so cool!" Rose couldn''t hold back her excitement. "Let me guess, we use this to sneak out on the night of the full moon?"


    "That''s the plan! I''m glad you like the idea."


    "Like it? I love it! It sounds so exciting! I wish we were doing it sooner! "


    Lily giggled before ripping the applied talisman off and returning to normal. Now fully visible again, she beamed a happy smile. "Same! I''ll be on my way to joining you in Regarth in no time!"

 Chapter 30 - Preparations

    Arakil was conflicted as he paced up and down the miniaturized world inside the book. On the one hand, their preparations were making extremely good headway, but he was agitated by the lack of direct impact he could have once the ritual was underway.


    It would be entirely beyond his control once the two girls headed out during the next full moon. Not to mention, he was not looking forward to the consequences of his slight deception against Lily.


    Optimistically, it would not actually be required, but he felt Rose would likely still reveal the truth of the matter. As far as he could tell, those two hid no secrets from each other. He would remain firm in his belief that she would accept his apology eventually, especially with the current goodwill he had fostered and the allure of the future magic and Mana Core growth he had promised her.


    "I could fix the grimoire''s arcane eye with some Mana, and then I could observe the ritual¡­" Arakil shook his head and sighed. "But it would be a fruitless waste of Mana. What good would being able to witness it do at this stage? If something catastrophic were to happen, I would be unable to communicate with anyone until after the fact.


    "If Rose could read the text within my tome, then that would be another story entirely. This present limitation, which means that I can only communicate with Lily directly, is a frustrating inconvenience. She will have to focus her entire attention on meditation and condensing the Mana, so it''s not like she can pause to read any messages I''ve scrawled out."


    He really needed to fix the telepathy spell, but that just wasn''t currently feasible. Even if he stripped it to a barebones functionality, it wasn''t maintainable at present without a reliable supply of Mana. If a young girl had the patience to ration and conserve their resources, then he had no excuse not to follow suit.


    "If it was only one or the other, I could perhaps argue about the rationality of the expenditure. Unfortunately, without both functions, it would be pointless."


    He glanced around and sighed again.


    "Perhaps I''m just bored?" Arakil asked himself. "Beyond meditating and trying to collect Mana for the primary ritual inscription, there''s not much I can do at this stage."


    Tapping a finger against his wrist, he began to tick things off like a mental checklist.


    "I''ve prepared my message for Rose; I''ve exhausted possible improvements, even going as far as to align the ritual for a full moon. Teaching Lily any further sigils or crests would be a detriment at this stage¡­ She needs to focus on her meditation."


    He collapsed backward into the illusory chair.


    "I suppose¡­ I''m forced to wait¡­ And hope."


    He shuddered.


    "Me, hoping? How dreadful. What''s next, wishing for good luck?"


    ***


    Things outside were proceeding as planned. Lily continued working at the shop, and Camilla happily supplied her with the requested goods. She had questioned once or twice what she was doing with all of this, but Lily could brush it off as glyph practice.


    Rose had even purchased a few bits of Fairymoss from one of the other stores to avoid suspicion. Likewise, she raided the flower hole and harvested it to near extinction. They were putting all their eggs into this basket, and being frugal was not an option.


    Even the herbs with faint traces of natural Mana were ground up. Everything and anything with Mana was subject to becoming powder and was thrown into a pot of boiling water to fuel the ritual.


    Rose had kept up her routine of checking on the site and clearing it of any potential intruders, but the forest had remained relatively calm and quiet ever since she dispatched the wolves. She''d only found a few gremlins and other small creatures, nothing even vaguely threatening.


    At the same time, Lily had reached satisfactory levels with copying out the sub-ritual, and Arakil finally gave her the go-ahead to start drawing them out with Rose''s blood ink. Even though they were only for the sub-ritual, it was complex, and Lily could barely finish one in an evening, even if she were to give it 100% focus and precision.


    At the same time, they needed to find out when the next full moon would be, which was crucial for their setup. Thankfully, it wasn''t too hard to discover, although it had now added an extra time limit to their endeavor.


    There was only a single full moon between now and Rose''s departure. Rose had tried to see if she could budge Lady Desthu''s timeline, but the woman once again threatened to hasten it instead, especially with Rose''s newly grown-out tail.


    When just over a week remained until the full moon, they needed to start making daily preparations. While they now had three completed glyphs¡ªfour if they included Arakil''s¡ªthey were told to only create one sub-ritual per day. Arakil had mentioned that this allowed the sites to saturate with Mana.


    Getting Lily to the site six times would prove challenging, so the girls had to adjust their schedules.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The first time they woke up early and visited it before lessons started. They practically rushed there, and Rose even had to carry Lily at one point to save time. Thankfully, she was light, and they reached it rapidly.


    Examining the diagram Lily had received from Arakil, she plotted out the six sub-ritual sites and the center spot for the primary ritual. The six sub-rituals would work together to form a six-pointed star that Arakil had called a unicursal hexagram. Meanwhile, the primary ritual would be at the crossing intersection right in the center.


    "To think even the shape of the ritual matters this much," Rose commented offhandedly. "I must say I''m really glad I chose to stick to just doing fire magic and some chanting."


    "I still think you should learn a premade glyph or two. Arakil or even I could design one for you, and as long as you practiced it enough, it should be easy enough," Lily replied in a rebuttal.


    "Maybe¡­" Rose mumbled. "Once we aren''t rushing around like headless chickens to meet this deadline. I hope we will have some time after the full moon to just relax?"


    Lily nodded. "No time limits or anything, certainly¡­ Although I will hopefully be starting magic lessons then!"


    "I''d argue you already are having magic lessons, or did you forget who''s been drawing all these magical pages?" Rose commented with a snort.


    "Yeah, but even so, magic with my own Mana! Real magic!" Lily said, then slapped her hands against her mouth in a panic. "Don''t tell Arakil I said that!"


    Rose chuckled. "He doesn''t like you implying the glyph stuff isn''t real magic?"


    "No¡­ He got really upset with me for some reason. I mean¡­ It''s definitely magic, but it''s not casting with my own hands! No, that''s not a good comparison¡­ Not casting with my own power!"


    "Sure¡­ Sure¡­ I get it; your little outburst is safe with me," Rose teased.


    Lily sighed and placed the page in the correct location.


    "Okay¡­ Can you activate this, please?" Lily asked.


    Rose nodded and touched the page. It began to glow, and they both retreated to a safe distance. It activated once the timer had been met, and the page burned up.


    A reddish light began forming in the air. It started by tracing a circular perimeter and then began drawing out one of the most complex inscriptions or glyphs Lily had ever seen. While she could''ve guessed some of the glyphs in the Mana gathering array and even the stone transmutation spell, it was utterly beyond her this time.


    When the reddish light finished its magical floating drawing, it flashed three times before plunging itself downwards into the rock. A sizzling noise could be heard as it melted directly down into the rock, providing a full and near-instant engraving of the sub-ritual.


    Both girls hurried over to look at the result when the red light vanished. Right before they arrived, the Mana gathering array let out a pulse, which seemed to settle over the newly made engraving. Even from this angle, Lily still couldn''t understand it, but she looked in awe at the construction.


    "So six of these, and then we fill them with liquid, right?" Rose asked.


    "Yup, that''s the plan!" Lily said with a happy, ear-flopping nod.


    "Won''t we be in trouble if it rains? Like¡­ Will we need to clean this out of gunk and stuff on the night of the big event?" Rose asked curiously.


    "Arakil said the Mana gathering array would protect anything within it from deteriorating, which is what I think that pulse was right before we arrived," Lily explained.


    "Okay, that''s damn convenient! That dusty old book truly is smart to have thought of all of this junk beforehand!" Rose half-heartedly praised.


    "That dusty old book has a name, you know," Lily pointed out.


    "When he gives you your promised Mana Core, then I''ll call him by his name," Rose said.


    "I mean, he saved my life¡­ And did all of this¡­" Lily said, gesturing around to the magical platform they were literally standing on. "Can''t you trust him fully already?"


    "Nope!" Rose said and cheekily stuck out her tongue. "I''m a stubborn dragon, and I made up my mind. That book needs to keep his promise, and then I''ll respect him."


    Lily sighed and nodded moments before Rose lifted her up.


    "I''m gonna have to run back, or we will be late for breakfast!" Rose exclaimed and, before Lily could protest, broke out into a sprint.


    ***


    They repeated this task five more times. The only change in the procedure happened when they used the original made by Arakil. Instead of the magical floating inscription being drawn in a reddish light, it was drawn in an iridescent gold color. It was remarkable and caused both girls to gasp at the sudden and unexpected surprise.


    The end result was the same, and later, when she prodded Arakil for answers, he merely stated that it was likely a visual byproduct of the type of Mana used. The reddish hue was likely formed from Rose''s blood ink rather than personally imbued by Arakil.


    Three days before the full moon, Camilla finally handed Lily her promised Mana potion. It had caused the little bunny quite some distress as it was the last thing they were relying on.


    And just like that, they had nothing left to do but wait. Everything was laid out, planned, and accounted for; the only thing left was enacting the ritual.


    On the night of the full moon, Lily impatiently paced around in her room, waiting for Rose. She nearly bolted out to meet her when the light tapping rasped at her door. Opening the door revealed the shadowy, cloaked form of her big sister.


    "Ready?" Rose whispered.


    "I triple-checked everything," Lily confirmed in a whisper.


    "Great, time to shadow up!" Rose said excitedly before slapping the other talisman on Lily''s back.


    Since her initial demonstration, Lily had produced four more and given them all to Rose for safekeeping. When the small piece of paper made contact with Lily, her bunny visage was engulfed in the cloak of shadows, just like Rose''s.


    "Operation sneak out is a go!" Rose teased.


    "Shh!" Lily reminded her.


    Rose''s shadowy form nodded and made a finger gesture of silence. Lily locked her door, and together, they began sneaking out of the orphanage.


    Lily felt her heart pounding. She was incredibly nervous that they would be caught, but as long as they made no noise, it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to spot them. Escaping the orphanage was relatively easy, as they just needed to hop through an open window on the ground floor.


    When they left the orphanage grounds, Rose couldn''t help but let out a small squeal in excitement.


    "We have got to do this more often! My blood is boiling!" Rose exclaimed, barely containing her excitement.


    "We won''t be able to if you don''t keep your mouth shut! We still have to sneak past the gate!" Lily said angrily.


    "I know, I know¡­" Rose grumbled. "This is just so exciting, but don''t worry, I''ll be completely zipped up until we are beyond the city gate."


    Lily''s shadowy form nodded, and they continued their journey.


    To the benefit of their efforts, the gate guards put more emphasis on keeping things out than on keeping things in, and the two of them snuck past with almost disappointing ease. The darkness of the night, slow movement, and sticking to the shadows meant they were practically invisible to the tired night watch.


    Rose let out a fist pump in victory, and Lily even let out an excited giggle.


    "Next stop, the ritual site!" Rose cheered.


    Lily nodded excitedly, her shadowy ears flopping energetically. She just prayed that everything would go as planned.

 Chapter 31 - Ritual Start

    Thanks to their well-practiced routine expeditions they made it back to the glade in no time. While some small monsters were roaming about the forest, unlike their daytime treks, nothing had approached them, thanks to their shadowy cloaks concealing their presence.


    As they stepped into the small forest glade, a sense of tranquility enveloped them. The night was quiet, save for the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant call of an owl. Above, the dark night sky was sprinkled with shimmering stars that felt close enough to touch.


    The full moon cast a silvery glow in the center of the glade, illuminating everything in its path. The stone disc appeared to be drinking in the moonlight as each of the six sub-ritual circles had somehow seized a column of the celestial glow and redirected it to itself.


    The moonlight danced across the ground, creating ethereal patterns among the ferns and wildflowers. Shadows played softly, shifting and swaying as a light breeze passed through the trees, creating a bewitched ambiance.


    The air was crisp and fragrant with the scent of pine and earth, enhancing the feeling of being in a hidden sanctuary. Lily could see the delicate details of the leaves glistening like tiny jewels in the moonlight.


    As Lily stood there, she couldn''t help but feel a deep connection while surrounded by the enchanted splendor. It was a moment of pure wonder that bolstered her resolve even further.


    Tonight was the night!


    "I know I keep saying this, but this really makes me think it''s all real," Rose mumbled.


    Lily giggled. "I''m surprised that you had doubts after everything you''ve seen? The stone circle, the enchanted Mana array, six sub-rituals, the shadow cloak, and now this?" Lily shook her shadowy head.


    "I know, I know¡­" Rose said after a soft chuckle. "Still, even you must admit it''s a bit crazy, right? I mean, you''re going to be the first Lagia mage! My little sister is going to be famous!"


    Lily blushed deeply and was grateful it was still hidden by their shadowy cloaks. "I couldn''t have done this without your help, Rose. Thank you!"


    "Anything for you," Rose said before planting her shadowy hand on Lily''s head and ruffling her hair and floppy ears, even if they were hidden.


    Lily grumbled a mild complaint about messing up her hair before ripping off the shadow cloak talisman with her free hand. "Let''s do it! Before we run out of moonlight!"


    Rose copied her gesture, "Ready when you are!"


    They rushed to the center of the stone dias, and Lily placed her basket down. She pulled out the instructions that Arakil had written and read them aloud.


    [Below are the instructions to be followed in order. Ensure that you read through the entire list before initiating anything.


    <ul>


    <li>


    Begin pouring the liquified Fairymoss or glyph ink into each sub-ritual site. Administer them carefully and stop once each one glows gold.


    </li>


    <li>


    Once all six sites are ready, activate the inscription to create the engraving for the primary ritual. Ensure that it is directly placed in the center of the stone circle. Remember to retreat while it is engraving!


    </li>


    <li>


    Begin filling the primary ritual with all leftover liquified Fairymoss or glyph ink. We cannot afford to be frugal.


    </li>


    <li>


    Once out of the liquids mentioned above, pour the Mana potion into the primary ritual engraving; however, ensure that one sip remains for yourself. This is crucially important; you will need to ingest a sip of Mana potion later!


    </li>


    <li>


    Lily, you must sit in the center of the primary ritual in a comfortable position to meditate. Pour the remaining potion liquid into your mouth, but DO NOT swallow.


    </li>


    <li>


    Rose, take the empty potion bottle from Lily and keep it safe. Do not let it break. Then, vacate from the stone circle.


    </li>


    <li>


    Lily, before swallowing the potion, you must key the ritual to yourself. This can be done with a drop of your blood. I know you are averse to such things, but even the smallest drop will suffice. Be brave!


    </li>


    <li>


    Once the drop of blood touches the ritual, it will activate. Ensure you promptly swallow the Mana potion, shut your eyes, and begin the breathing and meditation technique immediately. I believe in you, Lily; you can do this! Imagining the spiral will guide you.


    </li>


    <li>


    Rose, once Lily has begun her meditation, tear the page given to you to ensure the safety of the ritual. The ritual will be over when the last light fades from the engravings. Lily will likely pass out at the end, and you will need to carry her safely home.


    </li>


    <li>


    I fully believe in all the preparations we have made. This is our moment of triumph, and I urge you to remain confident in yourself! Regardless of my conviction, however, I still wish you good luck.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ~Arakil.]


    "That''s quite a lot. Although nothing that sounds too hard¡­" Rose muttered in thought.


    "Well, except for the meditation¡­ And the blood¡­" Lily shuddered a little.


    "Come on, Lily. Arakil said it could be a tiny amount¡ªa small pinprick on your finger!" Rose said reassuringly.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I know¡­ I just¡­ Don''t like it¡­" Lily mumbled.


    Clinking could be heard as they began carefully withdrawing their supplies from the basket. Bottle after bottle filled with either glyph ink or liquified Fairymoss.


    Arakil had told them it really didn''t matter as long as it was in a liquid form, so they had spent quite some time grinding it and then dissolving it in boiling water rather than trying to refine it further.


    They each took some bottles and began carefully pouring the liquified contents into the engraved grooves of the sub-rituals, slowly filling them out. One by one, each of the six sub-rituals began to glow with golden light.


    "Okay¡­ That''s all six," Rose confirmed. "Looks like we have a decent amount left over for the next part."


    Lily nodded. "Next is creating the primary ritual."


    Lily found the page and placed it in the center of the ring. Like they had done with all the sub-rituals beforehand, she activated it and retreated to a safe distance with Rose to anticipate the spectacle.


    This one was drawn with a golden light rather than a reddish light, similar to the very first sub-ritual that Arakil had drawn. An impossibly complex inscription was drawn in the air, with strange, alien symbols far beyond Lily''s comprehension.


    Some of the stuff Arakil had drawn before looked like a foreign language to her, but this seemed utterly alien as if it shouldn''t even exist. Most bizarre of all, if she stared at the symbols too much, she actually started getting a throbbing headache and bubbling anxiety.


    I guess I''m not ready for whatever that is¡­ Gods, will I ever be ready? This feels like something beyond understanding¡­


    Once the drawing was complete, it sunk into the stone and began engraving deep into it¡ªan impossibly intricate carving that could only be made with magic.


    "Man, that was crazy!" Rose said, breaking the silence. "I swear I heard voices in my head when I stared at it too deeply."


    "Yeah¡­ I''ve never seen symbols like that before," Lily admitted.


    "Shall we start filling it up?" Rose asked with a clap of her hands.


    Lily nodded, and they got to work. The liquid began taking on a brighter, glowing coloring with each bottle they poured out. When Lily finally got to the Mana potion, she held her breath, poured it out with the utmost caution, and ensured enough was left behind for her sip.


    Filling the primary ritual took longer than all six sub-rituals combined. It didn''t look nearly as bright as the sub-rituals, which made Lily slightly concerned, but she believed in Arakil''s preparations.


    Plus, I still need to key it. That might be why it''s dormant, unlike the sub-rituals¡­


    "Okay¡­ Just the moment of truth, then?" Rose asked expectantly.


    "I guess¡­" Lily gulped. "I think I''ve got a bit of stage fright."


    Rose patted her gently on the shoulder, reassuringly. "You can do it, Lily, I believe in you, and the stuffy old book believes in you. You can do this!"


    Lily sucked in the air and nodded. "Can you prick my finger for me?"


    Rose chuckled. "Of course. Just be careful to not let it drip until the right moment!"


    She extended the claw on her pinkie and ever so gently gave Lily''s thumb a poke before hastily retracting it. Lily winced as a bright red blob of blood began to seep out.


    "Don''t be such a baby! I''m sure you didn''t even feel it!" Rose teased.


    "I''m not¡­ Ugh¡­ Let''s do this!" Lily grumbled, her nervousness now replaced with some vindication. She then realized that this might have been why Rose teased her in the first place.


    Am I really that predictable?


    After uncorking the remaining Mana potion, she shook the errant thoughts away and poured it into her mouth. She was instantly grateful that it didn''t have a foul taste, as that might have made her either retch it or swallow it involuntarily. It had a faint, rooty licorice flavor that, thankfully, her tongue could withstand.


    With her cheeks puffed out as she held the liquid, she handed the bottle to Rose, who took it and the basket and left the stone platform.


    "Good luck, you can do it!" Rose shouted in encouragement.


    With Lily now alone, she had to fight back a nervous gulp that would have caused the potion to be prematurely ingested.


    Okay¡­ Let''s start!


    She squeezed her thumb so the blood would drip and watched it slowly plummet into the Mana concoction, sparkling in the engraved inscriptions. Lily swallowed down the potion and shut her eyes tight.


    She immediately went into the breathing technique as she tried to settle her mind. Whatever she had swallowed was now causing her insides to swirl uncomfortably. Doubt began to slowly infest her mind. Was she doing the meditation technique wrong? Had they screwed up the preparations? Did they not have enough Mana? Lily tried her hardest to shake out those negative feelings and focus on the confidence both Rose and Arakil had expressed in her.


    Inward spiral, endless flow,


    Gather Mana, steady and slow.


    Turning, drawing, deep and pour,


    Condense to essence, form the Core.


    She breathed out, and when she inhaled again, she found... something? It felt almost like an ethereal gas was somehow floating inside her. It felt cold yet soothing.


    Lily began the meditation exercises, and in her mind, she saw what looked like a silvery gossamer. Trying to retain her joy, she focused on the mental image of the infinite spiral Arakil drew for her. She focused with all her might on getting the silvery substance to shape itself into that spiral, to coalesce infinitely into a Core.


    The substance began to swirl. Lily smiled.


    ***


    Rose was staring at Lily, almost holding her breath. It was the point of no return, but she had the utmost confidence in the little bunny.


    She''s put in tremendous effort; she deserves it! Rose declared sternly as if scolding anyone who would dispute this.


    Something was building up, but she wasn''t sure what yet. She recalled the final instructions Arakil had given and placed the basket down to look for the last remaining page she was instructed to tear.


    "Found it!" Rose said confidently as she pulled it out, but before she could proceed, something had changed. She gasped.


    The air had thickened as an iridescent silver glow appeared beneath Lily, tracing a perfect circle around her. This light pulsed rhythmically, as if it had a heartbeat of its own, before solidifying into a lustrous golden ring enclosing the area.


    In the center of the circle, a silver line had sparked to life, extending and shifting to form the outline of a triangle between the sub-ritual sites. As if by its own mystical will, another line intersected it, creating a second triangle upside down.


    Together, they created a unicursal hexagram, giving the impression of an ancient and powerful magical force taking shape around Lily. The lines seemed almost alive as they carved themselves onto the stone, leaving trails of shimmering silver energy in their wake.


    In the middle of this star, a smaller, brighter triangle ignited with a fierce, radiant light, casting a shimmering glow on Lily''s tightly shut face. The central triangle pulsed powerfully, like a heart at the spell''s core, anchoring the ritual magic taking hold.


    Slowly, arcane symbols had begun to appear along the outer ring, emerging one by one in a ripple of light that spiraled around the platform. Each symbol glowed with an intense, mystical energy, hinting at forbidden knowledge and arcane power. These inscriptions glowed, burning their presence into the air with a light that felt ancient and profound.


    As the final symbol blazed to life, the whole seal glowed with an intensified, almost blinding brightness that surged outward, casting a silvery hue across the area. The space within the ritual felt entirely transformed as if it existed outside of normal reality¡ªa domain for the whims of magic.


    Rose muttered a quiet curse under her breath. "Gods, what have we gotten ourselves into?" She said it out of half fear and half awe.

 Chapter 32 - Contingency

    Rose managed to snap out of her stupor and remember what she needed to do. She already had the page in hand, so she quickly ripped it in half. The page burst into magical flames, and that was when magical writing began appearing in front of her.


    [Hello Rose, this is our first time conversing, although it is slightly one-sided. As Lily has introduced, my name is Arakil, and we''ve found our fates intertwined.]


    "Hello? Can you hear me?" Rose asked the text, but it continued writing out its message. The book wasn''t here; this was clearly a prewritten message.


    [First, I want to thank you for all the help you''ve provided to Lily. She has confided a lot in me without realizing it, and when you disappeared, she was devastated. Quite frankly, without your aid, I do not think we could have accomplished what we have done.]


    She couldn''t help but feel guilty. She had no choice in the matter, as she was basically imprisoned. Still¡­ She wished she could have returned sooner.


    And now I''m leaving her again¡­


    [Now, with the niceties out of the way, the reason for this unusual method of communication is to dispel any of my remaining concerns. While I have confidence in Lily, I believe you should always prepare backup plans, which is why I am confiding in you.]


    "So you''re a paranoid book, gotcha¡­" Rose muttered.


    [Before I explain the backup plan, I want you to understand the potential issue. First and foremost, regardless of what happens, Lily will be safe. However, if she should fail with this ritual, condensing a new Mana Core is likely impossible without extremely rare and potentially non-existent resources.]


    "Lily would be devastated¡­" Rose said somberly.


    [I do not wish Lily to experience this tragedy, and thus, I am coming to you with my backup plan, one which Lily would no doubt refuse. In normal circumstances, Lily could stay in an endless meditation until she eventually condensed her Mana Core.


    Unfortunately, this is not the case at this time with such scarce ambient Mana, so the only potential pitfall for Lily would be if she runs out of resources and fails to meet the deadline. This is where you come in.]


    Rose straightened up.


    [Your draconic heritage clearly contains powerful amounts of Mana within your blood, and I hope if Lily begins to fail, you''d be willing to donate some to her.]


    "What kind of question is that? Of course, I''d give her whatever she wants!" Rose shouted at the floating text as if it had doubted her commitment.


    [As evident, I cannot use your blood, but that does not stop Lily. The method would be to have her drink it, which she would adamantly refuse if she knew about it beforehand if I''ve read her personality correctly. While meditating, she will be somewhat entranced, so you shouldn''t have too much difficulty forcing her to drink it using a potion bottle. I wouldn''t ask this if there was another option, but with time running short, I do not know where else to turn.


    Rose frowned. Lily would absolutely hate this.


    [I have no doubt Lily will be upset at my deception in this regard, but in an emergency, I''d rather accept the hate and have her succeed than have her fail and have her heart broken. Besides, perhaps she will soar through, and my needless fretting over a backup plan will have been pointless.]


    "Of course, she''s going to be upset! Although I hate to admit you''re probably right, she would not accept this, even if it''s for her own good."


    [Anyway, enough rambling and justifications. When Lily succeeds, the unicursal hexagram will begin to shrink and converge on her. Once it is fully gone, the ritual will be complete. That is the state for success.]


    Rose nodded, paying extremely close attention.


    [You need to look out for the ritual''s two outer rings. If those begin to fade away before the unicursal hexagram begins its convergence. That means the Mana is thinning, which might not be enough for Lily to finish condensing her Mana Core.]


    "Okay¡­ Fading rings¡­" Rose muttered as she glanced at the ritual site; everything still glowed brightly.


    [Unfortunately, you cannot simply add your blood to the ritual as it is now keyed to Lily, and mixing foreign elements like that into it directly could hamper it. However, if she ingests some of your potent blood, then it will grant her a boost in Mana and potentially buy her enough time to finish her task.]


    "Nothing is ever easy¡­" Rose complained.


    [Lily will hate this when she finds out, but this is for her own good, and I trust you will agree. Again, I hope I am wrong and she will succeed alone, but I simply cannot sit by and let a potential disaster ruin a young girl''s dreams.]


    [Thank you, Rose. Take care of Lily.]


    [~Arakil.]


    "Of course, I''ll take care of her, your dusty old book!" Rose snarled.


    Rose then read the floating words over and over. They weren''t fading away, and she had ample time to read and digest everything.


    "No way Lily would drink blood, that''s crazy¡­" Rose mumbled. "But I admit¡­ It will be for her own good; I don''t even want to consider what happens if she fails!"


    Rose picked up the potion bottle from the basket and sighed. Using an extended claw, she cut between some scales at the fleshy bits and began crudely trying to get it to flow into the potion bottle.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "I really hope she doesn''t need it ''cause otherwise, I''ll be joining you in the doghouse. But¡­" Rose clicked her tongue in annoyance and swapped to her other arm to get a better flow. "We''ve come too far. Lily will become a mage!"


    It was a rather difficult experience as her body kept trying to close up the wounds rapidly. Normally, she''d be grateful for such a convenience, but now it was just frustrating as she was concerned the ritual would begin to fail before she was done. When the bottle was partially filled, she finally stopped and started to watch the outer circle like a hawk.


    "Please succeed, Lily!" Rose begged. "I don''t really like the idea of forcing you to drink my blood."


    The outermost ring began flickering as if fate had decided to spit in her face. Rose cursed and clenched her fist angrily.


    "Please don''t hate me, Lily! This was all the stupid book''s fault! Agh!" Rose whined as she began heading towards the ritual.


    This sucks¡­ I just hope she doesn''t vomit all over us¡­


    ***


    Inward spiral, endless flow,


    Gather Mana, steady and slow.


    Turning, drawing, deep and pour,


    Condense to essence, form the Core.


    Lily kept chanting the mantra. She had found herself lost in the activity of grabbing the silvery, ethereal substance and drawing it into the slowly growing spiral. Any sense of time had gone out the window. Had she been here for minutes? Hours? Days? It all just blurred together.


    At the center of the spiral, a partially glowing sphere was forming. It looked like the most majestic moon she''d ever seen, even if it wasn''t complete yet. She just needed to keep spiraling everything until it was perfect!


    She continued on and on, never stopping, only breathing and chanting. She mentally reached for the next batch of the silvery vapor and found it somewhat lacking. Was she nearing the end? But her little silver moon didn''t look nearly complete enough yet.


    Arakil did say it would grow; was this what he meant? Lily wondered.


    Inward spiral, endless flow,


    Gather Mana, steady and slow.


    Turning, drawing, deep and pour,


    Condense to essence, form the Core.


    She repeated the mantra to refocus herself. She couldn''t let herself be distracted until it was over. Back in the zone, she barely felt something gingerly touching the back of her neck. She repeated the mantra again and again.


    Then, something touched her lips. She wanted to open her eyes, but she scrunched them shut tightly. She needed to focus! Her little silver moon wasn''t complete!


    Something warm touched her lips. She wanted to panic but let out a grunt. She kept repeating the mantra; it was her only lifeline at this point to keep her focus. Was someone trying to get her to drink something? It felt like the familiar shape of the potion bottle.


    She cracked her eyes open ever so slightly and saw the blurry form of Rose. But she was forced to immediately shut them. That brief little stunt she had pulled had almost caused the spiral within her to dissipate.


    She chanted the mantra with renewed determination, terrified that the spiral would break apart before her Mana Core was complete. She had a million questions racing through her head: why was Rose trying to get her to drink something? Did something go wrong? What is in the bottle? She was forced to try to suppress all of them and regain some semblance of control.


    Something extremely hot touched her lips. She wanted to scream in protest, but that would not let it enter her mouth. She shut her lips tight. Why was Rose trying to distract her? She couldn''t understand. She was desperately trying to keep her thoughts in check.


    Then the unthinkable happened. Lily''s nose was squeezed shut. Breathing in was an integral part of the meditation, and she swung a blind fist to try to free her nostrils, but her body was far too weak to overpower a Dragia. Before she entirely lost her spiral, she gave in and opened her mouth in a gasp.


    Rose must have been waiting for that as the spout was thrust into her mouth directly. Swiftly, the simmering liquid poured into her mouth, and she wanted to vomit. It tasted awful, like the kids were daring each other to lick coins. That, combined with the viscosity and the temperature, was far too much for her.


    Why!?


    Rose was now ensuring that the liquid was fully entering her mouth. Lily tried to struggle, but she''d never felt so overpowered before. Rose was always absurdly strong, but this situation made her feel like wet paper.


    I can''t¡­ I have to swallow¡­ Lily thought grimly as she was quite literally forced to chug the vile contents.


    She tried her best to ignore the almost burning sensation coating the back of her throat as the fluid went down. She clenched her fists tight and retreated back to chanting the mantra as it was the only remaining control she had left.


    She would have gasped if her mouth wasn''t shut tight around the spout of the potion bottle. In the void of her spiral was a fresh supply of mist, except it was blood red but far more abundant than the silvery substance she was working with before.


    Did Rose give me a potion to help me finish my Mana Core? Lily wondered.


    Rather than fighting anymore, she begrudgingly accepted the help. She swallowed the vile concoction as fast as she could so that Rose would hopefully release her nose. When the liquid ran out, the bottle was plucked from her mouth, and her nose was released. She gasped for breath, bit back her desire to scream, and instead focused down.


    Inward spiral, endless flow,


    Gather Mana, steady and slow.


    Turning, drawing, deep and pour,


    Condense to essence, form the Core.


    She had saved her spiral in time, and it seemed like she could also gather this red mist into it. However, she couldn''t shake the feeling that it felt a little wrong. While she was pondering that thought, she noticed that as the red mist traveled toward the center of the spiral, it began losing its crimson sheen, revealing a silvery purity underneath.


    I need to purify it enough before it reaches my silver moon!


    She wasn''t sure where the thought had come from, but her gut told her it was right. She began enlarging her spiral to have a longer path by tightening the rings even further and placing her Mana Core far deeper into the spiral.


    She focused harder and harder; it was an infinite spiral, and in theory, she could keep adding to it as much as possible, but she was feeling deep mental pain and fatigue with each additional layer she added.


    I just need enough to clean out all the red! Come on! Lily reassured herself.


    Again, she lost herself in her trance, and when the newly gathered mist finally touched her partially formed Core, it was pure silver. But Lily was far too much in the trance this time and didn''t even celebrate. She just kept focusing and condensing it as much as possible.


    She had no idea how long it took, as it didn''t matter so long as it was successful. Her throat burned, her stomach churned, and she could feel a bulging pressure on the right side of her chest. She ignored all of it.


    She wasn''t sure when it happened, but she had reached the end at some point. The outer tail of her spiral began eating itself inwards as it began to retrace over the entire path she had built up. In the center was her Mana Core, which felt relatively tiny but looked like a beautiful and pure, silvery, full moon.


    She watched as the spiral continued to eat itself, heading closer and closer to her Core. There was no more Mana; her work was done, and she felt a relief of accomplishment bubbling up inside her. When the outer tail met the center, the entire Core gleamed from metallic silver to pearlescent to iridescent before settling back on the pale, pure silver.


    It was done.


    Lily exhaled. She opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out the vague sight of what looked like the start of a rising sun. She was about to cheer and celebrate when that pressure in her chest built up.


    Her entire body felt like it was on fire! Something hot and piercing flooded through her whole body, originating from her right chest.


    Lily opened her mouth to scream, but abruptly, the entire world went dark, and she collapsed into a heap on the stone. The last thing she vaguely heard was someone yelling her name.

 Chapter 33 - Slumber

    "Lily!" Rose screamed when she saw the tiny girl''s body begin to glow and convulse.


    Rose rushed over to Lily''s collapsing body as fast as possible, completely panic-struck. She cradled Lily''s limp body and quickly began to check on her. Her body still pulsed with that glow, almost identically to the rhythm of a beating heart.


    "You bloody book! If anything happens to Lily, I''ll throw you into the ocean!" Rose snarled.


    Rose first checked that Lily was still breathing, then moved on to check that she still had a pulse. With both of those confirmed, Rose let out a somewhat relieved sigh.


    "She will likely pass out," Rose muttered angrily, recalling what Arakil had said in his original instructions. "This is far beyond that!"


    Rose lifted Lily''s unconscious body and held her in a princess carry. She would have opted for a piggyback if she wasn''t utterly deadweight, but she wanted to keep her secure. Thankfully, Lily weighed basically nothing, and Rose had no issue carrying her even without her recently increased strength.


    Rose began walking and spotted the basket abandoned on the ground. She muttered a curse and tried to think of how to manage this logistically when she spotted her tail angrily swishing back and forth.


    "Might as well try¡­"


    Often, it felt like her newly grown tail had a mind of its own, only reacting to her emotions or in the heat of the moment. She had to apply conscious effort if she wanted to use it. She hooked her tail through the basket''s handle and then lifted it, causing it to slide down and rest behind her backside.


    "I guess that''s as good as it''s going to get¡­"


    Lily was small enough that if unmoving, she could hold her in one arm, so she carefully adjusted her and then fumbled into the basket sitting against her backside, trying to find the spare shadow cloak spells.


    "Found it!" Rose said as she plucked it out between two fingers.


    She slapped it on her own stomach, and the shadow erupted and coalesced around them. Since Rose was carrying her, Lily''s form was covered in the billowing shadows, and she didn''t need to resort to using a second one.


    "Gods, I hope you''re alright¡­" Rose muttered worriedly and began briskly heading back home.


    The trip out of the forest was relatively uneventful. A few animals and small monsters wandered about, but thanks to the cloak of shadows, they didn''t even pay attention to them.


    The return to the city gate was even more uneventful, and Rose spent most of the time grumbling complaints about what had transpired.


    She will be in a trance; it''s not too difficult to get her to drink it. Like hell, that was easy! Lily fought practically tooth and nail to stop me! No way I can just brush that off; it could''ve only been me trying to force her to drink something. I''m totally going to get blamed as well! Rose grumbled.


    Still¡­ I hate to admit it, but that was amazing. I''ve never seen anything like that before. It was a success, right? The uni¡­hexa¡­thing converged on Lily at the end. I guess if things work out in the end, then it''s all good? Although, I still want to throw that bloody book against the wall, even if it just makes me feel a little better.


    By the time they reached the city gate, Rose was becoming very worried, as Lily hadn''t stirred for a single time. Her body was extremely warm and no doubt still pulsing with that soft glow. Rose just hoped this was like her own awakening and that Lily would wake up feeling right as rain.


    Seeing Lily devouring a hunk of meat like a starved beast would be quite a sight. That was embarrassing¡­ Rose thought to herself.


    The guards looked tired and bored, and the sun had not risen enough to cause any issue with the shadow spell. Once inside the city walls and far enough away from the guards, Rose resumed her brisk pace to get Lily to her bed.


    There was a minor logistical mishap in trying to climb through the window while holding Lily and the basket, but Rose managed after some trial and error. Once she had finally reached Lily''s door, she let out another relieved sigh.


    Taking the key that Lily had attached to a lanyard, she fumbled to unlock the door and entered. She gently lay Lily on the bed before tearing off the talisman to remove any obstruction from her vision.


    Lily looked almost entirely unchanged, and if not for the tiny, rhythmic breathing, she would have looked like a corpse. The only notable difference was that the pulsing glow was much more subdued now.


    "Will she wake up when the glow stops?" Rose wondered aloud as she began tucking Lily under her blanket.


    Rose reached under the mattress and pulled out the book. Lily always left it open because she said Arakil needed his book open to work. She briefly contemplated slamming the book shut and throwing it against the wall but suppressed that urge. If she closed it, no one but Lily could open it again.


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    "We''re back¡­ I think it was a success," Rose explained. She knew he could hear her, but without any visual feedback, it felt like she was talking to a brick wall.


    "I had to intervene; it was not easy at all. The star thingy converged on Lily, then she started glowing and collapsed. She looked like she wanted to scream¡­ I''m extremely worried, but she''s breathing, and other than her being limp, I can''t see anything wrong with her."


    Rose sighed.


    "I don''t know what else to say¡­ So goodnight. Hopefully, Lily will explain what happened when she wakes up."


    Rose returned the book under the mattress, placed the basket under the bed, and grabbed the spare key from the desk. She locked the door and began wearily returning to her own room. Now that her mind and body were no longer racing, she felt exhausted. She was out like a light when her head collapsed into the pillow.


    ***


    "So it sounds like it was a success¡­" Arakil murmured to himself. "It''s a pity that Lily couldn''t complete the ritual in time without Rose''s intervention, but that was always a possibility. The fact that she finished it is already worthy of praise.


    "I''m glad I had the foresight to include a slumber spell keyed to the final section of the ritual dissipating. No doubt she''s having Mana channels carved throughout her body at this very moment, certainly not something you want a child to experience awake¡­ I do wonder how big of a Core she managed to condense?"


    He desperately wished he could examine Lily himself, but he found himself pacing up and down. While any size of Mana Core would be good enough to start with, he couldn''t help but wonder how his apprentice had fared, especially without having him physically able to guide her through the process.


    "I could start designing a repair on the eye¡­ It''s probably feasible to start allocating resources to it. Then, I could see her results myself. I''m curious how much cross-contamination there was in her Mana Core from utilizing someone else''s Mana? Hopefully, it''s not too much, but we can work on shaving away any contaminated parts over time. It''s an unpleasant experience, but worth it in the long run."


    Arakil willed himself to change location and appeared before the drained and broken design that originally made up the arcane eye on the book''s cover. He stared at the decay and frowned deeply before pulling out a stack of paper and sketching out possible solutions.


    "We can''t repair the entire thing at present, but I can''t see myself needing Truesight or half of the other features at present¡­" Arakil muttered. "At the same time, I don''t want to utterly destroy them, as repairing them from a clean slate might be impossible. I need to design a restoration to quarantine the broken fragments till they can be integrated later. Yes¡­ That could work!"


    He began eagerly drawing; he had plenty of time to kill until Lily awoke.


    ***


    Rose woke up feeling terrible. Someone was banging on her door. She grumbled and rolled out of bed. Sleepily, she walked over to the door, unfastened the latch, and opened it to see a rather upset-looking Margit.


    "Rose!" Margit said, looking rather startled. "You look like you slept in a bush. What the heck have you been up to?"


    Rose grumbled a nonresponse, and the woman sighed.


    "You and Lily have entirely slept through breakfast and will be late for your first classes!" Margit said angrily.


    "Oh¡­ Crap¡­ Sorry¡­" Rose grumbled tiredly.


    Margit sighed. "Well, at least you''re answering your door. Lily hasn''t responded. Can you check on her? I don''t want to use the master key to enter her room."


    "I''ll go check on her right now! I have her spare key. She looked a little sick last night, so maybe she didn''t want to get out of bed," Rose fibbed.


    Margit raised a suspicious eye but nodded. "Please do. If she''s sick, then let us know so we can inform her teachers and Miss Camilla that she will be absent."


    "Of course!" Rose replied with a firm nod.


    Margit let her pass, and she rushed to Lily''s room. She used the spare key to unlock the door, entered, and closed it behind her. Rushing to the bedside, she noted that it looked like Lily hadn''t moved at all.


    Rose cursed and clenched her fists tight. She pulled back the bedsheet and noted that the pulsing glow was barely visible. She tried a few times to stir Lily awake, but she refused to budge, and her shallow breaths were the only thing that proved she was still alive.


    "It''s like a coma¡­" Rose muttered angrily.


    She pulled out the book from beneath the bed and glared at it.


    "Lily still hasn''t woken up, you stupid book!" She snarled. "If anything happens to her, I will find a way to punish you. I don''t care if your stupid book can''t be destroyed; I''ll throw it in the ocean or a volcano or something! Good luck ever getting out of that!"


    It took all her self-control not to hurl it against the wall, but she angrily stuffed it back under the mattress. Before leaving, she gently stroked Lily''s head.


    "Please be okay¡­" Rose pleadingly whispered.


    Rose informed Margit that Lily was ill and resting. Margit seemed to accept that excuse and requested that she check up on her and deliver some food and water.


    "It''s clear you two were up late last night together¡­ In the future, I hope you remember that she''s got a far more frail constitution than you," Margit reprimanded.


    "She''s not some delicate porcelain doll that will break if you touch her," Rose countered angrily.


    Margit sighed. "You''re right¡­ In some ways. Honestly, I''m surprised at all she''s done lately; it''s very impressive. However, it''s clear it''s finally caught up on her."


    Ha! Just wait and see what Lily has planned. It''s going to knock all of your socks off! Rose thought mockingly.


    "Well¡­ Let us know if it''s anything serious or if her condition gets any worse," Margit requested. "If she''s still unwell by tomorrow, we might need to call a doctor. I certainly hope that won''t be needed; that poor girl has seen enough doctors for a lifetime."


    Rose was taken aback. "Was it that bad? Lily hasn''t really mentioned anything about that¡­"


    Margit nodded solemnly. "There were many times we thought the girl wouldn''t make it. I can''t give you all the details since it''s private, but the circumstances around her birth were complicated. There were days when she would keel over, and we thought it was the end. Constant fevers and even the most minor of flus would leave her bedridden. The fact that she''s nearly half the size of anyone her age is proof enough."


    Rose nodded. Having run out of conversation, they said their farewells, with Margitt muttering complaints about needing to inform Camilla of her absence.


    I suppose this is why she''s so determined to grab one of the few things somewhat under her control¡­ Rose thought.


    The day went by, and Lily still had not stirred. Rose spent almost the entire evening sitting by her bedside, pleading for her to wake up. Before she left to go to sleep, she extinguished the lamp to check the glow.


    "It''s almost gone¡­ I can barely see it," Rose whispered.


    She wasn''t sure why, but she felt like once that glow was gone, Lily would finally awaken.


    Either that or I throw that stupid book away!

 Chapter 34 - Awakening

    Swirling images flew by. Stars were being sucked into an ever-growing void. Spiraling and spiraling until collapsing into a silvery sphere. The sphere exploded into a burst of iridescent light.


    "Guh!" Lily exhaled as she bolted upright.


    Then she began coughing. Her throat felt absolutely parched, and as she fumbled around weakly, she noticed someone had left a pitcher and glass of water on her bedside table. She didn''t remember going to bed, but she was so thirsty at this point she didn''t care.


    Her arms felt like noodles as she hesitantly picked up the glass with both hands gripping tightly. She was immediately grateful that someone had already filled the glass, as she didn''t feel she had the strength to lift the pitcher.


    She drank and drank, only stopping when the cup was empty and letting out a gasp.


    "Rose must have brought me back¡­ I wonder how long I''ve been asleep?" Lily whispered to herself.


    She gingerly touched the right side of her chest. She could feel a faint warmth pulsing within, akin to a heartbeat.


    "It was¡­ A success?" Lily asked rhetorically; she felt tears running down her face.


    She wanted to bolt out of bed and talk to both Arakil and Rose immediately, but it seemed impossible. Her wishes were interrupted by her stomach letting out a starved gurgle.


    Thankfully, Rose or one of the staff members was expecting her to wake up hungry, as she noticed a small plate sitting behind the pitcher. It looked like it contained crackers, hard cheese, and a few fruits and nuts.


    Her stomach gurgled again at the sight, and she shifted and fumbled so she was close enough to drag the plate toward her before desperately chowing down. She felt absolutely ravenous. She had always been a relatively light eater, but now her body was demanding sustenance.


    The cheese and crackers disappeared first, which she practically shoveled into her mouth as she struggled to grip them individually with her shaky fingers.


    Feeling somewhat better, she moved on to the fruit. She gasped upon seeing her favorite¡ªstrawberries! Her small and delicate hands promptly reached out and grabbed the first strawberry.


    As she held a strawberry, it wiggled in her grasp, slipping and sliding between her fingers. She carefully brought it up to her mouth, but her weak grip and excited anticipation caused the berry to tumble just before reaching her lips, leaving a little red smear across her cheek.


    She would have succeeded if she had just tossed it into her mouth, but that would''ve been a waste as she enjoyed slowly nibbling strawberries from the bottom, savoring each tiny bite.


    With a soft giggle, she tried again, her lips pursing in concentration as she struggled to hold the red deliciousness still. Her fingers squished the fruit a bit too hard this time, causing juice to drip down her fingers, adding to the mess. Despite the struggle, there was an adorable determination in her eyes as she savored the strawberry''s sweet taste with a big, triumphant smile.


    "So good!" Lily said with a delightfully happy squeal.


    When she was done, she discarded the green chaff on the plate and licked her messy fingers and mouth clean before moving on to the rest of the food, ensuring she saved at least one strawberry for the finale.


    When Lily emptied her plate, she felt much more energized. The warmth in her right chest pulsated with a soothing sensation throughout her body.


    "Did I not have enough nutrition for my Mana Core?" She whispered to herself in question.


    Her fingers no longer felt like jelly, and she felt strong enough to pour herself a glass of water from the pitcher. She greedily drank another two full glasses of water before finally feeling satiated.


    She tried to climb out of bed but was hesitant because she was still not at full strength. She desperately wished she had someone to talk to or something to do, as she didn''t feel tired at all.


    She began wondering about her Mana Core: Could she use it, how big was it, and could she cast spells now? As her active mind kept bouncing between topics, she recalled that Arakil said she would use the same meditation method after her Mana Core was formed.


    Lily nodded with a grin and began clumsily arranging herself until she was sitting in a meditative posture. Then she took in a deep breath and started trying to focus her mind.


    Instantly, she could tell that this was no longer the same pointless meditation, although it was not as spectacular as the event that had transpired that moonlit night. If she concentrated her thoughts inwards, she could see her tiny silvery orb floating inside the dark recesses of her mind.


    She chanted the mantra, and tiny, minuscule specs gathered toward her orb. If the backdrop of this inner world was not pitch black, she would not have noticed the tiny sparkling specs floating in the spiral toward her Mana Core.


    Is this what Arakil is always complaining about? He said that the ambient Mana had dropped so dramatically that he almost couldn''t believe it. But¡­ How can I nurture my Core properly if there is no ambient Mana? Is there another way? Could I ingest Fairymoss like Arakil?


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    Lily halted her meditation. The thought of ingesting something spurred her memory of that night. She gingerly touched her lips and frowned.


    "Rose made me drink something¡­" Lily wondered.


    She wrestled with her mind, trying to think of what she had drunk. It tasted utterly foul, and even the memory made Lily want to retch. At first, she thought Rose might have made her drink one of the Fairymoss solutions, but they had spent all of them as far as she could remember, and it didn''t explain the scalding temperature.


    "It kind of reminds me of what happened when we were making glyph ink with Rose¡­" Lily suddenly thought aloud.


    Lily shut her mouth and began to extrapolate on that stray thought. She came to a conclusion, and she wanted to vomit.


    Did Rose feed me her blood!? Lily thought in horror.


    It was the only thing that made sense; it explained the metallic tang that polluted her tongue, the thick viscosity, the hot temperature, and the absurd amount of Mana.


    Not to mention, the Mana was crimson-red!


    Lily felt sick, and it took all of her willpower not to vomit the meal she had just eaten.


    "Rose has some explaining to do¡­" Lily muttered angrily before rushing to get herself another glass of water. She felt a desperate need to rinse her mouth out.


    To her surprise, Lily found that most of her body responded correctly after that short meditation session. She happily bounced out of bed, but the sudden rush of blood to her lower extremities gave her another urgent need.


    "Bathroom!" Lily cried as she frantically opened her door and rushed outside.


    ***


    Rose was in a terrible mood; Lily had still not woken up that morning, and Margit insisted on getting a doctor to see her. She''d even taken out her anger by grabbing the book and tossing it against the wall, which only accomplished shutting it closed and leaving a dent in the wall.


    Stupid book! This is all your fault!


    Anyone else in the passage gave her a wide berth as she was actively growling and looked ready to bite someone''s head off.


    Rose ignored all of that and headed to Lily''s room. She reached to unlock the door, only to find it unlocked. Puzzled, she opened the door to find an empty room absent of its bunny occupant.


    "Lily!?" Rose shouted with concern.


    She began searching the room. She noticed the food and most of the water were missing. She looked for the book, which was under the mattress and still sealed shut since her morning outburst.


    "Did she get up? Did they take her away?" Rose asked, trying to understand what had happened


    Her investigation revealed a few tiny red stains near the edge of the bed next to the nightstand. Rose began to panic; something had happened. She rushed to the door, slamming it open and nearly toppling someone over.


    "Out of my way!" Rose snarled.


    "R-Rose?" A tiny voice squeaked out.


    Rose snapped her head in the direction and saw a tiny little bunny girl rubbing her backside and wincing in pain.


    "Lily!" Rose shouted, rushing over and lifting her up into the air and into a crushing hug.


    Lily began frantically squirming, trying to escape, but with no success.


    "Are you okay? I''ve been worried sick! You wouldn''t wake up!" Rose said in a verbal barrage.


    The smothering prevented Lily from responding, and Rose eventually realized that fact. She gently placed the tiny girl down and gave a relieved sigh.


    "Inside¡­" Lily finally whispered and pointed to her room.


    Rose nodded, and they both went in.


    Lily frowned when she saw the state of her room.


    "Sorry¡­ I came to check on you, and you were gone. I thought something bad had happened," Rose explained with a look of clear embarrassment.


    "I had to go to the bathroom," Lily explained. "And then I took a quick shower afterward¡­ I was feeling absolutely grimy. How long was I asleep for?"


    "It''s been almost two days since we left," Rose answered. "You were still like a corpse, I was worried sick. Your breathing, heartbeat, and that glow were the only things I had to know you were still alive¡­"


    "Two days¡­ I wonder why it was that long?" Lily wondered.


    "I have no idea¡­ I tried asking that stupid book, but he wouldn''t respond," Rose explained. "I had to lie to Margit. She was worried and now is quite suspicious. She said a doctor would see you first thing in the morning."


    Lily shuddered. "I hate doctors¡­"


    Rose gave an apologetic smile, now understanding why a little more after that conversation with Margit.


    Lily reached under her bed and pulled out the closed book. She tilted her head in question and looked at Rose.


    "Did something happen?" Lily asked. "I don''t remember closing the book."


    Rose grumbled and pointed to the wall; there was a very visible dent in the wall.


    "Oh¡­" Lily muttered in understanding.


    "I was really worried! And then I lost my temper!" Rose pleaded.


    "No¡­ I understand. I''m sorry for troubling you," Lily said as she grasped Rose''s hand.


    "So, did it work? Do you have Mana now?" Rose asked, trying to change the subject to a more positive one.


    "Yes!" Lily said excitedly. "When I meditate, I can see my Mana Core, and it''s letting off this soothing feeling throughout my body. When I first woke up, I thought I was starving. But then I ate some food and water, and after a short meditation, I felt good as new!"


    Rose touched her chest and let out a relieved sigh. "Thank the gods¡­"


    "It''s so beautiful, I wish you could see it. It''s like I have a tiny full moon inside myself; it''s so silvery and majestic!" Lily said excitedly.


    "So, can you cast spells now?" Rose asked.


    Lily shrugged. "Probably, but I have no idea how to. Arakil focused on reaching the destination, not what we would do afterward. But when I meditated, I gathered tiny sparkles of Mana."


    "Huh¡­ I don''t do any of that, though?" Rose questioned. "From what I was told, our bodies generate Mana from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. It happens over time as our body metabolizes."


    "I think mine does that too¡­" Lily said, especially if she recalled how she had felt starved when she first woke up. "But I think I can increase it by meditating. Like¡­ We both have bottles that fill up every day, but I can also increase my bottle''s size."


    "Oh¡­ That sounds pretty convenient. Does that mean you''ll eventually have more Mana than even me?" Rose questioned.


    "Maybe¡­ But I think at the moment it''s tiny, so I have a lot of catching up to do!" Lily answered.


    Rose puffed out her chest. "Of course, I wouldn''t be the big sister for nothing if you didn''t need to catch up!"


    "The only issue is that there''s so little ambient Mana," Lily sighed before brightening up. "But! I''m sure Arakil has thought of ways to increase it even without ambient Mana."


    "Like eating Fairymoss or something?" Rose questioned.


    "Or something¡­" Lily muttered, then pointed an accusatory finger straight at Rose. "Like what you did to me!"


    Rose stumbled backward a little from the shock of the accusation. "I¡­ I didn''t do anything!" She fibbed.


    "You stuffed a potion in my mouth!" Lily retorted.


    "I¡­ Uh¡­" Rose stuttered.


    "With blood in it¡­" Lily whispered angrily, not wanting to shout the word out loud.


    "It was all that stupid book''s idea!" Rose deflected.


    Lily looked down at the book in her hands, her fingers tightening across the binding.


    "Really now?" Lily questioned.

 Chapter 35 - Results

    Rose began retelling the events of that night. Lily was tapping her finger along the spine of the book, listening. She had no idea that Arakil had put a secret message in the inscription he had claimed was a spell to secure the ritual.


    Technically,  it had secured the ritual, but Lily wasn''t about to admit that as she was still feeling disgusted by the fact that she had not only drunk blood but blood from someone else. That was all kinds of gross.


    I couldn''t recognize a single part of that, not the crest or sigil, so Arakil must have done something to hide the message. Did he use a different glyph language or something?  Lily wondered to herself.


    After Rose''s explanation, she finally opened the book. The first thing she did was accuse Arakil. He had no ink, so it wasn''t like he could respond, so he had to just sit there while she verbally lashed out.


    At the end, she sighed. She felt a lot better after being able to vent it all out, but the truth of the matter was that if they hadn''t fed her that vile potion, she probably would have failed.


    "I¡­ Forgive both of you," Lily whispered. "And thank you both for making this dream a reality¡­"


    "Of course!" Rose shouted without any hesitation.


    Finally, Lily gave ink to Arakil. At first, he apologized for the deception and reiterated that it was only a last resort and that he truly wished the safety net would be unrequired. A small part of Lily knew it was probably due to her inadequacy at the part, perhaps not gathering it quickly enough or the trouble with the meditation.


    However, Arakil reassured her not to be so downtrodden and instead praised her accomplishment. He bemoaned his own inability to give her more hands-on guidance throughout the endeavor, and even though the contingency was needed, it still did not diminish Lily''s accomplishment.


    Finally, he asked for a retelling of the events from both girls'' perspectives. Lily sighed at not having the foresight to open the book so he could have heard right from the start. It took quite a while for both of them to finally finish their story. When they both had run out of things to say, Lily finally gave Arakil ink to respond.


    [Remarkable. You''ve truly done an outstanding thing, Lily! I couldn''t be more proud. One of the other reasons I was hesitant to use Rose''s blood as an option is that it would have partially corrupted your Mana Core. It would have taken considerable time and effort to cleanse your Core of foreign impurities, but you took unforeseen initiative and successfully filtered the incoming Mana.]


    "I just didn''t want my silver moon to become red¡­" Lily admitted, feeling a little embarrassed at the extreme praise Arakil was giving.


    [The reason for your extended sleep period was a spell I layered into the final stages of the ritual. Gaining a Mana Core often involves Mana Channels being carved throughout your body if you do not have any naturally; it can be an excruciatingly painful experience and not one I would want you to suffer through. The spell placed your body into a forced stasis until your Mana Core had stabilized.]


    Lily nodded, feeling relieved that she didn''t have to experience that. She had wondered what that burning sensation was of something digging through her body right before she had passed out. If what Arakil was talking about was worse than that, she was most grateful, even if it was inconvenient to be asleep for so long.


    Arakil also mostly confirmed what Lily had figured. Her weak condition was that her Mana Core was trying to replenish itself and did not have enough available resources. He also confirmed that Lily could use the same meditation to slowly develop her Mana Core.


    "But there''s so little Mana sparkles; how am I supposed to grow it at all?" Lily questioned.


    [Yes. As I mentioned, the ambient Mana has become dreadfully low. I''m honestly shocked that this is the state of the world and that no gods have intervened. You could artificially stimulate it by ingesting anything rich in Mana, although if it''s plant-based, we must be careful that it contains nothing harmful. You could even partake in more of Rose''s blood, although I''d caution against that as you risk partially corrupting your Core.]


    "No!" Lily shouted. "No blood!  Never  again!"


    [Not an issue. As I said, it was risky, and much safer methods are available. Besides, if my theory is correct, then the most fruitful method of nurturing your Mana Core would be to defeat monsters.]


    "Monsters?" Lily asked, tilting her head.


    "What''s this about monsters?" Rose spoke up.


    Lily read back everything Arakil said out loud for Rose.


    "Well, if you want some more, the tap is always open," Rose said, tapping the underside of her wrist.


    "Rose¡­" Lily muttered, visibly upset at the poor joke.


    "Kidding! I''m kidding!" Rose said, waving her hands to calm Lily down. "But still¡­ Monsters? I can sort of understand what Arakil is saying. I''m guessing it''s like how the monsters made me stronger; if you''re there, it will make your Core stronger?"


    "Hey!" Lily said excitedly.


    "What?" Rose asked, surprised by the sudden excitement.


    "You  finally  called him by his name," Lily said happily.


    "Well¡­ I  did  say I would if he kept his promise!" Rose admitted with a slight blush.


    Lily giggled.


    "Moving on¡­ You could certainly defeat a few little monsters. Something like a slime or a gremlin shouldn''t be too much trouble if you learned an attack spell," Rose said, demonstrating as she made a small flame appear in the palm of her hand before crushing it in a clenched fist.


    "I¡­ Don''t really have any offensive spells," Lily admitted. "I have the one Arakil made, but I''ve never learned any offensive glyphs."


    "Really?" Rose muttered curiously. "You have the fire  thing ; couldn''t you take that and make it shoot? Honestly, you can kill a slime with a burning stick, pretty much."


    Lily paused, tapping her finger against her lip while her ears twitched. "Maybe ? I''ve never tried adding a directional sigil to the fire crest."


    Wanting confirmation, she gave ink to Arakil so he could finally respond to the conversation.


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    [Firstly, Rose is correct. I believe monsters will be suitable fuel to feed your Mana Core. Moreover, after defeating one, you can perform the spiral meditation. It should channel their Mana or Essence directly into your Mana Core, although you  might  need to purify it.]


    "Meditating after every monster kill sounds horrible¡­" Lily muttered while Arakil kept writing.


    "Guess that means more practice for you!" Rose teased. "At least you''re  actually  meditating with purpose now and not just blindly."


    [Also, while I have not directly given you an offensive glyph composition, you have the building pieces for some rather rudimentary ones. You could make a rather simple firebolt glyph that should be sufficient for dispatching simple monsters.]


    "Firebolt?" Lily said.


    "It''s like a crappy fireball," Rose retorted. "Although¡­ I guess it''s a good starting point if you aren''t a Dragia."


    "But that''s all glyphs and stuff; what about using my Mana?" Lily questioned.


    [I was wondering when you would ask. It is relatively simple to start utilizing your Mana Core; you just need to visualize the meditation in reverse. Instead of collecting Mana into your Core via a spiral, visualize your Core itself spinning and releasing Mana into your entire being.]


    Lily''s eyes sparkled as she read that. It sounded absolutely amazing, and in hindsight, she should have realized that it made perfect sense.


    "That sounds  so cool . When can I learn real magic?" Lily asked, then gasped and realized she had said. "Sorry ! I didn''t mean it!"


    [I''ll forgive the slip of the tongue, especially after what I put you through with the blood potion. However, I will remind you that glyphs and inscriptions are, in fact,  real  magic.]


    "I''m sorry! It won''t happen again!" Lily pleaded.


    [To answer your question, it depends on how adept you become at manipulating your Mana. You will need to become accustomed to channeling Mana from your Core. We will also need to determine its capacity and purity at some point, which will determine your starting point.]


    Lily nodded. "So I just need to practice spinning my Mana Core and releasing Mana into my body?"


    [In simple terms, yes. However, once it is distributed, you must practice shaping and bending it to your will. One method I believe will please you would be practicing imbuing ink with your Mana. Doing so requires considerable control to focus it within the palm of your hand enough to emanate into an external object. Plus, that will give us mana-charged ink that  can  be used for inscriptions. You will have glyphs,  and  this more spontaneous form of spell casting, such as what Rose can do.]


    "Yes! That sounds amazing!" Lily said excitedly.


    "Explanations, please! I''m feeling like the third wheel here," Rose interrupted.


    "Sorry," Lily giggled before conveying everything Arakil had written.


    "So¡­ It sounds like you need to start practicing as soon as possible," Rose said.


    "Yeah!" Lily said with an excited, ear-flopping nod. "We used our last drop of glyph ink, not to mention all the Fairymoss. So until I can imbue ink myself, I won''t be able to make any glyphs to defeat monsters."


    "Well, unless you use the one Arakil made you," Rose pointed out.


    "I''m sort of saving that one for an emergency," Lily said, "If the shield inscription he made is any indication, it''s probably  extremely  over the top."


    "If I had known we needed to kill monsters, I would have been less active in my  walks ¡­" Rose muttered. "I''ve killed a bunch of the small fries, so they will take a bit to start spawning again. I could take you with me and kill a gremlin or two with you nearby?"


    "That might work¡­ Especially if it happens while I''m actively meditating," Lily said with a nod.


    "I also really want to help you as much as possible before I have to go with Lady Desthu," Rose sighed. "If I can give you a bit of a head start, that might be really helpful since I don''t know how long it will take you till you can imbue ink."


    "Thanks Rose¡­" Lily said, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Worst case, I finish paying off Miss Camilla and get her to order additional Fairymoss and make more glyph ink."


    "If there''s any left!" Rose giggled. "I swear, the amount we used, they probably think there''s a headache epidemic in Ceedale."


    "I hope not¡­ I want to buy some to grow my Mana Core¡­" Lily said with a hint of worry.


    Rose snapped her fingers. "What about a Mana potion?"


    "That might work!" Lily said, bouncing happily. Then she thought a bit more, and her ears drooped a little. "Although I haven''t even finished paying off the last one¡­"


    "Well, you have the time. Something to work towards, assuming it would work?" Rose said.


    They turned to Arakil and asked him.


    [Yes. Those Mana potions are likely the best source for you outside of monsters. If Rose''s startling growth is any indication, I believe you will benefit greatly. However, we must still ensure your safety first and foremost.]


    "I still have my shield glyphs, so I should be fine¡­" Lily mumbled.


    "And you''ll have me by your side!" Rose said with a small arm flex. "If you were truly desperate, I bet you could ask some of the teens here to take you with them. Those boys love showing off that they can beat a dire rat or a slime."


    "Maybe¡­" Lily reluctantly entertained the idea.


    "So¡­ I''m dying to know how good of a job you did! Aren''t you?" Rose asked.


    "Oh, right!" Lily agreed. "Arakil, how can we check my Mana Core?"


    [Until you learn how to channel your Mana, it will be difficult to evaluate currently. Once you''ve had your Mana Core for a few days and have channeled Mana throughout your body, it will start accumulating in your blood, and that will be a sufficient method to evaluate it.]


    "No¡­" Lily shuddered and hid her fingers away under her armpits.


    "Oh, come on now, Lily. I''m sure a little prick on the finger will be enough¡­" Rose said, shaking her head.


    "I hate  blood ¡­ It reminds me of all the  needles  and  doctors¡­" Lily shuddered.


    Rose gave her a comforting pat on her head, ruffling her ears.


    "Oh¡­ don''t forget you have your checkup tomorrow. You better eat and sleep well to pass it with flying colors, or we both might get in trouble," Rose pointed out.


    Lily gulped. She had nearly forgotten about that, and an errant thought crept in.


    Will they be able to see my Mana Core?

 Chapter 36 - Health

    After catching up with Rose some more and having dinner, Lily was technically supposed to go to bed. The only issue was she was struggling to sleep thanks to the excitement of her mind bouncing around from topic to topic.


    Since Lily was lying there with her eyes closed anyway, she decided to take the opportunity to try the meditation technique and hoped it would settle her down. At first, she did a full cycle of the regular one to help calm herself down; once that was done, she proceeded with the new method Arakil had described.


    It took her some trial and error to get the right mental image of her Mana Core spinning and spreading out rather than gathering everything into it like a spiral. Eventually, she found minor success and felt the strange energy flow throughout her body.


    She felt strangely rejuvenated like a thirst she never even knew she had was finally quenched. Once the flow had spread to her furthest extremities, she swapped back to the regular technique to reclaim the Mana.


    Despite her initial expectations, the practice didn''t leave her fatigued. Instead, she felt a lingering sense of rejuvenation. Lily was determined to make this practice a part of her routine, even if it would take more than a single evening to establish a habitual rhythm.


    She was about to start another cycle when she yawned and realized she was ready for bed. She sighed as she broke out of the trance entirely, and after shifting to a newfound comfortable position under her blanket, she soon drifted off into slumber.


    ***


    The next morning, Lily woke up feeling remarkably refreshed, as if she had just experienced the best night''s sleep of her life. The fear of feeling terrible and unwell due to her excitement had vanished, replaced by a sense of relief and well-being.


    Before fully getting out of bed, Lily eagerly practiced a few more cycles. She felt a sense of accomplishment as it only took her three tries to get her Mana Core to spin. The feeling of Mana flowing through her body was exhilarating, and she couldn''t wait to learn how to use it.


    "Hopefully, it isn''t too hard to learn to imbue ink¡­" Lily mumbled to herself.


    She was about to get up and talk to Arakil when there was a knock at her door. She grumbled a silent complaint before heading to open the door. She opened it to the expression of a slightly concerned Margit, although the woman suddenly brightened up when she saw Lily was up and about.


    "Good morning, Lily, I hope you are feeling well?" Margit asked.


    "Good morning! I''m feeling much better after getting some bedrest!" Lily exclaimed energetically, hoping it would be enough to cancel the doctor''s visit entirely.


    "That''s a relief. Rose had mentioned you were feeling better, but once we have it confirmed, we can all rest easier," Margit explained, dashing any hopes Lily had of evading the doctor.


    Lily reluctantly nodded.


    "The doctor should be arriving within the next hour, so make sure you''ve washed up and are ready for him," Margit added.


    "Okay¡­" Lily grumbled.


    After a quick wash, changing clothes, and breakfast, Lily headed towards the nurse''s office. One of the staff members was a retired nurse, and she foresaw most of the minor illnesses and injuries that the kids had accumulated over the years.


    Lily didn''t really like the woman. In her mind, she was barely qualified to put bandages on scrapes and bruises. She''d certainly never been able to help Lily in the past, which was why she was forced to see a doctor so often.


    "It''s too bad we can''t afford a cleric; they''re so much more interesting than doctors¡­" Lily whined.


    From what Margit had told her, they''d needed to use a cleric to heal her shortly after her birth, which claimed her mother''s life. Obviously, she was far too young at the time to recall even the most minor details of that encounter, and she regretted never having witnessed a miracle cast since then.


    Clerics were either expensive or  eccentric,  depending on which church you sought aid from. Ceedale only had one church capable of producing healing clerics, Piety, and one of their doctrines was to always be paid their fair share.


    "It''s too bad we don''t have one of the nicer ones, like Purity¡­" Lily sighed.


    From what she had heard, they healed almost anyone without question. She realized that was probably  why  they had so few churches¡ªstruggling to survive on goodwill alone. This also explained why Piety was so successful in demanding payment for everything, which was also attractive for potential clerics, as everyone wanted proper compensation for their time and effort.


    When she finally reached the nurse''s office, she stared at the door before finally resigning herself to knocking.


    "Come in!" A cheerful old voice said.


    Lily sighed, opened the door, and headed inside. The nurse''s office was relatively small, effectively just a waiting room with two adjourning private rooms, each with a bed.


    The nurse was a froggish woman of Raninia heritage. Most of the kids seemed to like her, but Lily and her had a history. When the old woman saw who it was, her demeanor visibly soured.


    "Oh, it''s you¡­" She grumbled as her jowls puffed out in annoyance.


    "It''s me¡­" Lily grumbled back. "Margit said the doctor is coming."


    The woman snorted. "You don''t look sick, but I guess it''s not  my  time being wasted¡­ Go sit and wait." She said and pointed halfheartedly at the chairs lining the far wall.


    Lily nodded and took her seat, quietly minding her own business. Since she had nothing to do but wait, she practiced trying to get her Mana Core to spin on demand.


    "Lily!" Margit''s voice interrupted her concentration, bringing her back to reality. The woman was also gently nudging at her shoulder.


    "Huh?" Lily said, blinking confusedly and looking around.


    "Did you doze off?" Margit giggled. "The doctor is waiting for you."


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    "Oh¡­ Sorry!" Lily said, realizing she must have been deeper in her trance than she realized.


    The nurse snorted and went back to reading her book.


    Lily followed Margit to one of the private rooms where the doctor awaited her. Although his heritage was relatively minor, he was a man of Equinia origin in his thirties. Besides his slightly horse-like ears and equid-hooved feet, he looked virtually human.


    "Ah, Lily, good to see you again!" The doctor said cheerfully.


    "Shouldn''t a doctor not want to see people again¡­" Lily mumbled.


    "Lily, don''t be rude to Doctor Teofelis!" Margit scolded.


    The doctor, however, laughed.


    "Very true! But hopefully, this will be just a minor checkup, and I''ll be able to give you a bill of good health. It''s been ages since our last checkup."


    Lily nodded.


    The doctor then proceeded to perform various tests. It started with taking her temperature before ultimately moving on to checking her breathing and heartbeat. With each test that went by, the doctor seemed to be getting more bewildered.


    "Interesting¡­" Doctor Teofelis murmured as he scratched at his chin.


    Oh no... Did he notice my Mana Core?  Lily worried.


    "Interesting, good or bad?" Margit asked with concern.


    Lily was silent, fearing something was wrong.


    "Interestingly good," Doctor Teofelis replied, seeming to be double-checking some of his old patient notes. "Very  good, in fact!"


    Both Magit and Lily seemed confused by his exclamation.


    "Lily, could you perhaps do a few jumping jacks for us?" Doctor Teofelis asked.


    "Doctor, she was bedridden for almost two entire days!" Margit said, evidently concerned.


    "I understand. Trust me." Doctor Teofelis replied.


    Lily nodded and proceeded to do a few jumping jacks. Margit stared with visible concern while the doctor seemed eagerly watching. When Lily finished five, she stopped, and the doctor took her heartbeat and checked her breathing again.


    "Remarkable!" Doctor Teofelis said happily as he seemed to scribble down something in his notes.


    "What?" Lily and Margit both asked together.


    "Forgive the pun, but little Lily here is as healthy as a horse!" The doctor replied excitedly.


    Lily immediately felt relief; it was clear that the doctor hadn''t discovered her Mana Core. She hoped to keep her magic a secret until she was ready to pass the test with flying colors.


    "But she was bedridden?" Margit questioned.


    "It must have been an amazing nap!" Doctor Teofelis joked.


    Margit looked extremely unamused, and so he elaborated frantically.


    "I promise you I''m telling the truth! This is the healthiest I''ve ever seen her. I double-checked my records, and she should have been wheezing from just doing two or three jumping jacks. But look at her! She looks ready to do another five if I ask."


    Margit looked at Lily, who just shrugged her shoulders.


    "How?" Margit asked.


    Doctor Teofelis laughed. "Well, if I were with the Church of Piety, I''d claim it was a miracle and charge you an arm and a leg."


    Seeing neither laugh at his attempted joke, he continued. "Part of me wants to say that perhaps she''s finally growing into her body. Maybe her new routine of frequent fresh air and walks has done her a world of good."


    "I somehow doubt a few walks would solve what we went through¡­ But I must admit she''s been much more active lately¡­" Margit admitted.


    "Well then, perhaps old Camilla felt bad and fed her a magic potion?" Doctor Teofelis suggested. "Although I somehow doubt that old penny pincher would be convinced to give up an elixir worth that much."


    Margit turned to Lily for an answer, but she frantically shook her head to deny it, her ears flopping as she did.


    "So the sky won''t be falling from Camilla suddenly becoming charitous," The doctor teased.


    Margit frowned, and Lily just hoped the attention would be off her.


    "Does that mean Lily will eventually be normal?" Margit asked.


    "That''s a little mean, I''d say she''s plenty normal," The doctor teased.


    Margit looked unamused. "You know what I mean¡­"


    Doctor Teofelis sighed. "I don''t know¡­ I don''t want to give false hope and say yes, but it''s possible. However, I don''t think a sudden bout of good health will undo years of underdevelopment. At the very least, I don''t foresee her condition deteriorating, and while she won''t be sprinting around like a rabbit, she might eventually be on par with humans."


    Lily was shocked by that revelation. Was this bout of good health from the two dire hawks that died? Rather than gaining strength like Rose, had it improved her constitution? Or was this an unexpected side effect of her Mana Core? Arakil had certainly not mentioned this outcome.


    "I see¡­" Margit replied. "Thank you, doctor."


    "Anytime! When you contacted me, and I heard it was Lily, I was growing a bit nervous that somehow things had gotten worse. I''m very relieved to see her in such glowing health."


    He gently touched her head and ruffled her hair and ears. She flinched and grumbled a minor complaint, to which the doctor laughed.


    "You can run along, Lily. You''ll need to get ready for classes and work since you''ve been given a clean bill of health," Margit said.


    "Oops, should I have said you need another day of rest to get out of classes?" Doctor Teofelis joked, and this time, Margit finally laughed with him.


    Lily thanked him for the checkup and hastily left, dodging the accusatory looks sent her way by the nurse.


    When she reached her room, she was somewhat startled that she was hardly out of breath. Her walks to and from the ritual site were never this easy, which meant that it was a much more recent development than the dire hawks.


    She reached for her door handle and paused.


    Am I going to get better?  Lily wondered.


    She had always imagined what it would be like if she were a normal Lagia and could run and sprint around like the other kids.


    But¡­  Lily shook her head.


    No. She didn''t care about that anymore; her new goals and dreams lay with magic!


    She closed her eyes and tried spinning her Mana Core. She clicked her tongue in annoyance when it took two tries to get it right.


    That would have been the perfect moment to get it on the first try!

 Chapter 37 - Mana Cycling

    Chapter 37 - Mana Cycling


    "Arakil!" Lily said excitedly as she hastily pulled the book from beneath her mattress and placed it on her desk.


    She only had a brief moment, so she needed to get her questions out of the way before she went to classes. If she didn''t, they would eat at her all day, not to mention that she wanted to confirm that her extra meditation wouldn''t be harmful in any way.


    "I just finished with my doctor''s checkup. He didn''t mention my Mana Core at all. But apparently, I''m getting better? My constitution has improved, according to the doctor. He said it might be because I''m growing, but I think it''s because I''m circulating Mana. I woke up feeling  amazing  this morning, and anytime I spin my Core, it feels refreshing."


    [Good morning, Lily. I''m glad to hear that your health is improving and there are no adverse effects from being unconscious for so long. To answer your question, your body has never been saturated with Mana, so the first time this happens, it is somewhat euphoric; this will lessen with time as it becomes more natural.


    As for your constitution improving, I can only presume without giving you a thorough examination myself. Still, it sounds like the Mana could be removing impurities that have built up in your body over time or perhaps always existed within. You mentioned the circumstances surrounding your birth being  complicated  and that you are unlike your peers.]


    "Yes, I''ve always been very small¡­" Lily confirmed somberly. "I don''t look my age at all, and I''ve never been able to run and jump around without getting sick or collapsing."


    She smiled happily, secretly hoping she''d finally start to grow; then, her head and ears wouldn''t be so easily attacked by others!


    "I have to run to classes, but I wanted to ask about spinning my Mana Core. Is there anything I should or  shouldn''t  be doing with it? At the moment, I just spin it and let the Mana spread out, and then I start spiraling it back in."


    [Once again, I''m glad you are eager to learn. Your current training regiment is perfectly suited for general practice. If it weren''t for the environment being so barren of ambient Mana, it would be a good way to further cultivate your Core. As for further practice, you can try guiding the spreading of Mana to a particular location. I''d start with attempting to gather it solely in your dominant hand.]


    "Okay! I''ll do that. Thanks, Arakil!" Lily said excitedly.


    She packed her stationary away before returning the book to its hiding spot. Then she grabbed her stuff before hastily heading to classes.


    Other than her teachers asking about her health and confirming that she was good enough to start lessons again, nothing much happened. Lily had wished she could have fibbed to get out of classes, but she knew it would only come back to bite her¡ªshe did not want to earn Margit''s ire.


    Whenever there was a quiet moment in classes, such as when she had finished the exercise ahead of time, she would immediately start trying her Mana Core exercises. She was fascinated by them and hoped Arakil would be wrong about the feeling going away over time. She loved them; they were like a soothing mist spreading out into her being.


    When circulating her Mana, she struggled to get it to gather in one spot. It felt akin to trying to herd cats, and the Mana constantly wanted to fill her entire body rather than just her hand. The best she could accomplish was getting it to spread to the right side of her body, which felt very peculiar like only half of her body was dunked in the soothing mist.


    When classes were over, she met up with Rose for lunch. The girl was happy to see Lily out and about and barraged her with questions about the doctor''s visit and how it went.


    "So it sounds like you''re getting healthier? That''s amazing!" Rose said happily.


    "I did five jumping jacks!" Lily bragged with a giggle. "I was just excited to eventually be able to use magic; I had no idea this would even happen."


    "I guess I owe Arakil another apology¡­" Rose mumbled. "Although the wall took all the damage."


    "I can''t believe you threw the book!" Lily teased.


    Rose sighed and shook her head. "The anger outbursts are not fun¡­ It''s why I''ve begun being more agreeable to Lady Desthu''s suggestions."


    "I can imagine¡­ I wish you didn''t have to go so soon, though." Lily admitted.


    "We will have at least two weekends to try doing a bit of monster hunting!" Rose said excitedly. "Assuming you get your spell stuff working by then."


    "Well, I got the one attack scroll left, but I''ve been practicing moving my Mana around. Then, hopefully, I can imbue some ink soon and use that to make some new spells."


    "Any idea what you''ll do for your bloodline magic?" Rose asked.


    "I haven''t really thought about it¡­ Arakil kinda focuses on the foundation before discussing later topics, but I hope it''s something starry!" Lily replied excitedly.


    "Starry?" Rose questioned. "I don''t  think  I''ve ever heard of anything like that, although admittedly, I don''t really pay that much attention to anything not fire."


    "I really liked the starry landscape Arakil filled my room with when he first showed me magic," Lily explained. "So if I can learn something that looks sparkly like a night full of stars, or maybe like a glowing moon, then that''s what I would pick. But¡­ I''ll probably defer to Arakil''s judgment; he''s the Archmage."


    "Yeah, listening to the ancient magical book makes sense," Rose nodded. "I''m surprised he isn''t teaching you some magic chants yet, though."


    "I''m sure he has a good reason¡­" Lily answered. "I already have a lot on my plate at the moment, and I don''t want to get too distracted while I learn how to get my Mana to flow properly."


    "Maybe you should quit your job at the potion shop?" Rose suggested.


    "I don''t want to do that!" Lily immediately rejected the idea. "I owe Miss Camilla money, and if I get in her bad books, then I might not be able to get another Mana potion."


    "Right ¡­ Well, what about dropping the scribe work?" Rose tried again.


    "I  could ¡­" Lily murmured in thought. "But it''s  very  easy work. I feel like I''d be giving up free money and ink supplies. I''m surprised people are so  bad  with their writing that they pay me to do it in the first place."


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "Hey, don''t knock yourself down!" Rose scolded. "You''ve put in an amazing amount of effort; I don''t think I''ve ever seen someone use a pen so well!"


    Lily blushed and nodded.


    They continued to chat for a bit during lunch and again while Rose escorted Lily to the shop for her afternoon of work.


    Lily asked Rose how she used Mana, which sounded  very  different from how her Core worked. Rose effectively had Mana flowing throughout her entire body constantly in her blood, and rather than spreading it out before using it, she would seize control of it in bursts.


    Rose obviously couldn''t control her blood flow, so the idea of having it gathered only in her hand was an extremely foreign concept. The only equivalent she could point to was that she would "raise the temperature" of her blood in her throat when she chanted or her fingers when she was manipulating fire with her bloodline.


    I don''t think I have the Mana capacity to constantly keep it flowing throughout my entire body and then flare it up in bursts when I need it. At least not yet¡­ Maybe that will change if I manage to nurture my Core enough?


    Arriving at the shop, Lily waved goodbye to Rose before entering. Camilla brightened up when she saw her enter.


    "I''m glad to see you in one piece!" Camila said with a slightly teasing tone. "When Margit told me you were sick, I must admit I thought perhaps you had done something stupid like drinking something toxic or perhaps stayed up past your bedtime drawing glyphs throughout the night."


    Lily shook her head. "No, nothing like that, I promise you."


    Camilla nodded. "Well, good! Although I must admit, you don''t  look  like someone who was sick for two days. Were you playing hooky?"


    Lily once again shook her head in denial. "I slept the entire two days. I got checked out by Doctor Teofelis, and he said I''m better than ever."


    "Oh? That horse is still kicking around?" Camilla said with a short cackle. "I bet he blamed me for you being sick?"


    "Actually, he thought you gave me an elixir to make me better," Lily admitted.


    Camilla howled with laughter. "That''s a good one! I like you, my dear, but I''m certainly not running a charity shop. In fact, if you hadn''t returned to work soon enough, I might have had to send the loan sharks after you!" Camilla teased with a mischievous grin.


    Lily giggled. "I told him you didn''t give me anything. They think it might be from all my walks and fresh air lately. I''ve certainly been living a very indoor life before this."


    "Good, good!" Camilla nodded in agreement. "One must try their best to get some fresh air, and daily walks can do a world of good. I''m relieved to hear my number one apprentice is in perfect health."


    "Well, not  perfect  health," Lily admitted.


    "Good enough to draw some glyphs and grind some herbs?" Camilla asked.


    Lily nodded.


    "That''s perfect health in my books!" Camilla said with another short cackle.


    Lily started drawing some of the glyphs that Camilla requested. When she finished a glyph, she would do a short cycle of her Mana before moving on to the next one. She wanted to get in as much practice as possible whenever she could find even a minor moment.


    Camilla seemed oddly distracted today, spilling her ingredients or glancing at Lily while working. Occasionally, she would mutter to herself, but nothing audible enough for Lily.


    Camilla would occasionally check on Lily''s work. At first, Lily thought the woman was concerned about her health, but it was becoming increasingly frequent.


    Lily was beginning to become a bit paranoid about it. Was she screwing up the work somehow? Lily started to double-check her tasks but couldn''t find any flaws. Was Camilla upset that she was working a bit slower than normal?


    So, Lily stopped her cycle between tasks and only did it when Camilla left to deal with a customer. She wanted to complain that the woman was a slave driver, but she still felt bad about how the woman had basically loaned her the Mana potion, so she held her tongue.


    That was how most of the afternoon went until Camilla called Lily over to one of her cauldrons.


    "I need to deal with some customers I''m expecting at the front of the shop. Can you continue stirring this cauldron for me while I''m busy if that''s okay?" Camilla asked.


    It was a bit of a strange request; Camilla had never asked her to do anything like this before.


    "Are you sure? Isn''t this a potion?" Lily asked, worried that she''d never dealt with anything more than a tincture or remedy.


    "It''s just some stirring girl; anyone can do it!" Camilla responded.


    Lily nodded in agreement.


    As Camilla was leaving, she turned as if remembering an absent thought. "Oh right, call me if it changes to a pinkish color. Otherwise, just keep stirring!"


    "Okay! Keep stirring until you come back, or it becomes pink," Lily repeated the instructions.


    Camilla nodded and then closed the door behind her, leaving Lily alone in the room.


    Lily grasped the handle of the long ladle and began stirring. She couldn''t help but admire this handle, which was much fancier than the ones she had used for her tinctures and seemed to be made from some form of special metal.


    Lily stirred and stirred, yet the mixture remained unchanging, and Camilla had yet to return. She began growing bored, and her mind began to flit about. She felt the work was monotonous enough that she could try sneaking in some Mana cycling practice to help pass the time.


    It''s not like I''m doing anything mentally taxing; I''m just stirring.


    So Lily began to cycle. She spun her Mana Core with relative ease and felt it distribute through her body. She then tried focusing on gathering the Mana in her hands, and to her surprise, the flow seemed a lot more directed than when she usually attempted to do it.


    She felt the Mana leave her lower extremities first and then concentrate on her arms. Excited by the prospect, she continued attempting to direct it toward her dominant hand, but the process seemed to be replicating on both sides. In the hope of finding success, she relented in trying to distribute it to both hands.


    Her hands felt warm and soothing. Lily was so excited by the prospect that she hardly noticed that it started to leak out of her hands and into the large handle. She kept stirring the cauldron and glimpsed that the concoction was no longer brownish but had rapidly become pinkish.


    Lily gasped and quickly stopped trying to focus the Mana in her hands, beginning the spiral process to recall her Mana.


    "Miss Camilla! It turned pink!" Lily shouted, barely noticing that her Core seemed a little emptier than normal.


    Lily wasn''t sure how long she was supposed to wait, so she kept stirring. Thankfully, Camilla appeared rather rapidly after her announcement.


    Rather than thank Lily, the woman immediately looked at the cauldron and hummed in thought. She took the ladle from Lily, lifting up some of the contents and sniffing it before dipping a finger into the contents and giving it a lick.


    Lily tilted her head in question when the woman finally spoke.


    "Congratulations on brewing your first  magical  potion!" Camilla said with an almost predatory smirk.


    "Wh-what?" Lily blurted out.

 Chapter 38 - Witch

    Chapter 38 - Witch


    "I  know  you heard me," Camilla scoffed. "I said congratulations on brewing your first  magical  potion!"


    Lily shook her head frantically. "I just stirred a pot, don''t tease me like that."


    "Oh?" Camilla asked, tilting her head. "So, did someone else sneak in and add their Mana to the brew?"


    Lily felt her eyes bulging as she stared in shock at the woman.


    "I don''t know  how  you did it, but you have  Mana  now, don''t you?" Camilla asked with a toothy grin.


    "I¡­" Lily stammered, unsure of how to respond.


    "Girl, you''re  really  full of surprises!" Camilla said excitedly. "First, you blow my mind with your knowledge of herbs and ink, and then you somehow have intricate knowledge and proficiency in drawing glyphs. Then you disappear for a few days and somehow come back with Mana! Something that should be impossible for a Lagia!"


    Lily gulped before pressing her lips tightly shut. She wasn''t sure how to correctly answer the woman, who had seemingly discovered this all by happenstance.


    "No use being tight-lipped around me, girl¡­" Camilla said as she pointed to the cauldron. "You''ve successfully brewed a minor healing potion. Sure, I did all the prep work, but you were the one who finalized the potion by imbuing it with Mana."


    "How?" Lily asked, finally breaking her silence as she glared at Camilla with a hint of fear.


    "How? I should be asking  you  that!" Camilla said with a soft cackle.


    Lily frowned, and the old woman let out a sigh.


    "Very well¡­ I''ll answer and then hopefully get some answers myself," Camilla said, taking off her spectacles and handing them to Lily. "Put these on."


    Lily gingerly took the spectacles. When Camilla began looking impatient, she quickly held them up to her eyes. Camilla then pointed toward the cauldron, and Lily looked before gasping. The entire mixture seemed to be glowing with a radiant light.


    She quickly removed the glasses and looked again with her naked eyes, but she saw only the pinkish fluid softly simmering. The radiant glow only returned when she held them up to her eyes again.


    "What''s this?" Lily whispered in question.


    "Mana!" Camilla answered with a snort. "Anyone involved in magical creations, whether potions or enchanting, needs a good pair of Mana-revealing spectacles!"


    Lily gulped.


    Camilla grinned. "Imagine my surprise when I was grinding herbs, and suddenly I saw my little apprentice periodically glowing with Mana! At first, I thought my glasses were broken, but then you stopped when I kept questioning you. So I set up a little trap to catch you in the act!"


    "The cauldron ladle?" Lily asked with a frown.


    "Bingo!" Camilla said with a snap of her fingers. "This is obviously no ordinary ladle; it''s designed to help one guide their Mana into the brew. I paid a pretty penny for this!"


    Lily gasped and looked at her hands, only realizing now that the magic ladle had guided the Mana to her hands so easily and not her own accomplishments.


    And it stole my Mana!  Lily thought with horror.


    "So¡­ Are you going to fess up?" Camilla asked.


    "I¡­ I can''t tell you how!" Lily finally stuttered out.


    Camilla sighed. "I guess I can''t pry out all your secrets as much as I want to. Imagine the fortune we could make if we could sell this to other people!"


    Lily shook her head. "This only worked for me; I don''t think anyone else could do it."


    Unless they somehow get bonded to Arakil''s book and get him to transcribe the ritual¡­ But I don''t think that''s possible.


    "Interesting¡­ You don''t seem to be lying, but you''re not telling the entire truth either," Camilla murmured.


    "I really can''t explain. But yes¡­ I have a small amount of Mana and want to use it to get into Regarth!" Lily declared.


    Camilla hummed in amusement before letting out a chuckle. "And here I thought you were joking about following your so-called sister¡­ But now you''ve gone and done this! Hell, they might accept you just as an experiment for being one of the first-ever Lagia with Mana!"


    "No, I''m getting in with magic, and I''m going to pass the test and get in fully!" Lily started with determination.


    "I love your fiery spirit!" Camilla complimented before sighing. "I wish you would agree to be my darn apprentice! Imagine the work we could do together. We could make a fortune selling potions and brewing up a storm!"


    Lily shook her head. "No¡­ I mean¡­ Thanks for the offer, but I want to learn magic! Potions are more of a hobby¡­"


    Camilla clutched her chest as if feigning heart pain. "You wound me, girl! Alchemy is  far  more than a simple hobby!"


    Lily frowned but was determined.


    "But I see your point¡­" Camilla sighed. "Your talent with glyphs is already evident enough. I certainly won''t  force  you to be my apprentice, or maybe one day, you''ll plot to blow up my entire shop with a hazardous brew."


    "I wouldn''t do that¡­" Lily mumbled.


    Camilla waved her hand dismissively. "Regardless. Maybe once you''re rejected from Regarth, or perhaps when you graduate, you''ll come back to little old me and realize what a wonderful offer I made! And then, in the goodness of my heart, I''ll welcome you back with open arms." Camilla cackled with laughter.


    "I''m not sure¡­ Maybe?" Lily replied with hesitation. "But I want to learn magic and maybe become an adventurer with Rose."


    "An adventurer?" Camilla questioned, looking rather baffled. "I mean¡­ I guess anything is possible, but I think a nice, quiet life brewing potions and earning a fortune would be much better for you! Or maybe becoming a licensed enchanter. Imagine the marketing! The first ever Lagia alchemist and enchanter! You''d make a fortune!"


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Lily just stared, looking rather uninterested.


    "Bah, you''ll understand what a marketing genius I am when you''re older," Camilla scoffed.


    "So¡­ Will you keep my secret?" Lily asked.


    Camilla stared at her long and hard before sighing and nodding. "Sure, why not? Although I might need to up your wages a bit if I''m going to be having you brew potions now, too."


    "I¡­ Don''t know if I can or should do that¡­" Lily replied hesitantly.


    "What?" Camilla asked, dumbfounded. "I promise I''m not trying to trick you, girl, but why would you not want to receive free alchemy lessons? Or a bigger salary? Tinctures, ointments, and herbal remedies are great, but the  real  money is potions and elixirs!"


    "I don''t have a lot of Mana¡­" Lily admitted. "And I''m worried it''ll run out."


    Camilla looked her up and down and shook her head. "Even one cauldron a day is enough; I''m not asking you to drain yourself dry."


    Lily remained silent as she tried to think about it.


    Camilla sighed. "I could always make more glyph ink? However, if you have Mana now, will you need something stupid like Fairymoss? Perhaps I could bribe you with another Mana potion?"


    Lily''s ears perked up at the mention of the latter.


    "I''ll¡­ Think about it," Lily relented.


    I need to ask Arakil¡­ I have no idea if this is good or not. I''m supposed to be nurturing my Mana Core, and this might have damaged it or made it worse!


    "Good! Yes, after a good night''s sleep, I''m sure you''ll realize what an amazing opportunity this is!" Camilla said excitedly.


    "So¡­ Can you explain what happened with the cauldron?" Lily asked.


    Camilla smiled. "Of course, girl, I''m glad you''re finally showing interest. I prepared the mixture, and the final brewing process was injecting it with Mana. That is what makes the  real  difference between an alchemist and an apothecary. By channeling Mana into the concoction, it acted as the final catalyst for this particular mixture."


    "So¡­ It''s not always the case like this?" Lily asked.


    "Heavens, no!" Camilla responded. "Sometimes you must imbue different mixtures separately before the final brew, or even the ingredients directly! This just happened to be a relatively simple recipe where the final step is mixing while imbuing it with Mana. To be honest, my ladle might have done a lot of the heavy lifting for you."


    "Oh¡­" Lily replied, feeling dejected and clearly showing it by drooping her ears.


    Camilla chuckled. "Girl, one moment, you''re adamantly telling me how you want to be a mage and get into Regarth. The next moment, you''re upset that I didn''t give your first alchemical brew a glowing review."


    Lily blushed. She knew it was childish, but she had grown rather fond of being praised.


    Camilla pointed to the ladle. "It''s a tool, and it did its job. You''ve had Mana for what? Two days? Less? I doubt you have the experience required to directly imbue a potion without the aid of a tool."


    Lily blushed even deeper. That was entirely true.


    "Yes¡­ Sorry¡­" Lily mumbled.


    Camilla patted her softly on the head. "Well, maybe one day, when you decide that alchemy is more than a fun  hobby , you''ll learn how to imbue without needing fancy and expensive tools."


    Lily nodded in agreement.


    "Now help me clean up. It''s almost closing time, and I bet your sister will be coming to fetch you in moments!" Camilla demanded.


    "Yes!" Lily said in agreement.


    They hastily packed away everything. Moments later, Rose knocked on the door. Before Lily left, Camilla handed her a bottle of the pinkish fluid.


    "What''s this for?" Lily asked.


    "I figured you should have at least a sample of your first-ever magic potion," Camilla explained. "It''s a  minor  healing potion; it will heal things like cuts, bruises, and other surface level injuries. Emphasis on  minor ! Don''t expect it to regrow fingers or anything crazy like that!"


    Lily blushed and thanked her.


    "Remember to think about the apprenticeship!" Camilla shouted moments before she walked away with Rose.


    Rose turned to Lily with a questioning look. "Is she still trying to recruit you?"


    Lily nodded.


    Rose shrugged. "Maybe you can take her up on that offer when the new year starts. It''ll help keep you busy while you''re waiting to reach the age needed for Regarth."


    "Maybe¡­" Lily agreed reluctantly. "But I''m going to need a lot of time and practice to be good enough to join you!"


    Rose giggled. "I''m rooting for you!"


    They continued chatting about mundane things and excitedly discussed their weekend plans to go monster hunting. Lily hoped she would be ready to help without resorting to the emergency inscription Arakil had made.


    I should have asked for some glyph ink¡­  She realized in hindsight.


    When Lily returned to her room for the evening, after dumping her basket in the corner, she quickly reached for Arakil''s book. She had many explanations and questions for him and was extremely worried about the potion partially draining her Mana.


    She began retelling all the events, including the trap Camilla had set with the ladle and potion.


    [Firstly, be at ease; you did  not  damage your Mana Core!]


    Arakil first explained, allowing Lily to immediately let out a sigh of relief.


    [Indeed, your Mana is supposed to be spent. It will regenerate itself over time through rest and nourishment. In fact, one of the methods to train your Core is to have it continuously replenish itself. While it won''t further increase your capacity, its regeneration rate will slowly grow.]


    Lily nodded happily at that. It also meant that suddenly Camilla''s offer became  much  more attractive as, at present, Lily didn''t have a method to  actually  spend the Mana herself.


    [That brewing ladle sounds fascinating; it must be made of a  highly  conductive material to help guide your Mana in such a dramatic fashion. I''d recommend trying to analyze the feeling and sensation of the tool as much as possible the next time you use it. It will no doubt help gain you insight into manipulating your Mana.]


    "Yes!" Lily agreed excitedly. "Is that how I''m supposed to imbue the ink?"


    [It is a  similar  procedure, but the difference and results are enough to make a difference. If it was that simple, you could simply stir ink with the ladle and have it imbued without the need for Fairymoss or anything like that in the first place.]


    "Oh¡­ Yes, you''re right, I wonder why nobody tried that?" Lily questioned.


    [Most likely, the nature of their Mana is slightly different as well since it is bound in blood rather than more freeform like your Mana Core. For most intents, it serves a similar purpose, but I''d argue yours is a more pure and natural form of Mana as it is unbound by the limitations of one''s bloodline.]


    Lily smiled happily. She liked the sound of that.

 Chapter 39 - Routine

    Chapter 39 - Routine


    Despite all the changes to herself and her daily life, Lily¡¯s daily routine felt oddly similar to her prior routine¡­with only minor alterations. Meditation and trying to move the Mana in her body took up much of her time, which would have been spent learning new crests and sigils. However, Lily still practiced her current repertoire appropriately to ensure they didn''t fall out of practice.


    Her work at Camilla''s shop changed the most. Rather than drawing glyphs, the woman now had her practicing brewing potions! Camilla had so many pages of stored glyphs now that the woman probably could last a month or two without needing a single new one.


    Lily welcomed the change, though, as it was the rare opportunity she had to spend her Mana. Through the brewing process, they discovered that while Lily  had  Mana, her capacity was  minuscule , according to the alchemist.


    When they made that discovery, the woman tried to console Lily, as having a small Mana capacity was one of the main reasons people failed to become fully qualified mages.


    Lily took the news with mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was disappointed to hear that she didn''t do a good enough job, but on the other hand, Lily knew that she would be able to grow it.


    I''m starting small, but I''ll catch up and eventually surpass everyone else! I got Rose and Arakil on my side!


    Lily tried her best to understand how the enchanted ladle was pulling her Mana to her hands with such ease, but it was still a very alien feeling to her. She could only compare it to suddenly growing an extra hand and not understanding how to use it properly.


    Or¡­ I guess a tail? Poor Rose probably also feels awkward about having that addition.


    After a brewing session, Lily would have to take a break to recover her Mana. She tried her best to time it, but she realized that her impatience was getting the better of her. This would probably be a long-term goal, and she wouldn''t see significant gains after only a few tries.


    Her monster outing with Rose drew nearer, and Lily was still unsuccessful with gathering Mana in her hands unaided. She needed to draw more glyphs so as not to be deadweight or use her last resort from Arakil.


    I have one shadow cloak, four shields, two light orbs, and Arakil''s attack spell¡­ That isn''t nearly enough!


    Lily put on her best pleading face and asked Camilla to help her by brewing a batch of glyph ink.


    "Sure, why not?" Camilla said with a shrug. "Better yet, I''ll teach  you  how to do it!"


    Lily giggled with delight. It had entirely slipped her mind that it was something  she  could do now. She wrote down everything Camilla said in great detail, especially the solvent needed to properly dissolve the Fairymoss.


    Camilla particularly liked this solvent as it catalyzed with Mana to aid in the dissolving process. Once channeled Mana was removed, it lost that acidity. It was one of the main reasons she had never given the final recipe to Lily, as without Mana, Lily would have crafted a very subpar version of glyph ink, as the solvent would have failed to dissolve the herb properly.


    That''s just another reason why people never bothered with glyph ink¡­ If you need someone with Mana to make it in the first place, you''re put in a very hard position where you''re entirely reliant on others.  Lily thought somberly.


    Under Camilla''s guidance, Lily successfully brewed a full pot of glyph ink for herself. She was absolutely giddy with success, to which the woman snorted a laugh.


    "Girl, you''ve brewed  much  more impressive things than that," Camilla teased. "We''ll make a fortune selling those detox potions to the adventurers! They''re always going out and getting poisoned by some big monster."


    Lily nodded. Having helped a bit with the bookkeeping, she knew that the magical potions Camilla was selling were generating quite a small fortune for the woman. She claimed she wanted enough to retire, but Lily couldn''t imagine the woman  ever  giving up on her lust for more coin.


    With a fresh pot of glyph ink, Lily could finally start working on some new spells! The fire crest was Lily''s best option for an offense spell unless she got very creative with water. She had probed Arakil on some of the best ways to apply it to an attack spell, but some suggestions were too much for the ineffectual glyph ink.


    Arakil is always so outrageous; I don''t need it to explode into a ring of flame if I''m going to cast it against a rat or a slime!


    After scaling down, the aptly named firebolt spell they recreated was little more than the fire crest, a directional sigil, a range limit of 20 meters, and shaped into a long drill. By putting the distance restriction on the glyph, Lily gave it a much-needed safety feature and greatly reduced the projected Mana expenditure.


    Plus, I don''t have to worry about missing the target, and it goes flying into the forest and causes a fire!


    Once Arakil gave his seal of approval, Lily was going to mass produce a few of the glyphs, but to her surprise, Arakil suggested against adding the extra circle to trigger the glyph upon breaking.


    Opting to save the somewhat scarce ink and informing Lily that she should start practicing learning how to activate them on her own by channeling Mana into the paper.


    Lily agreed and then proceeded to draw her glyphs without the extra trigger. She wasn''t sure how many monsters Rose intended to fight, but she wanted to ensure she was prepared, and thanks to the new instruction, she could make quite a few. She also made an extra shield and shadow cloak for extra precaution.


    I don''t think I can get any more ready¡­  Lily thought while stifling a yawn.


    Tomorrow was the day.


    ***


    "Make sure to stay near me so I can punch or kick anything that gets too close," Rose warned Lily as they walked toward the gate.


    "I will, don''t worry," Lily agreed. "I''ll also use the shield talisman as soon as we exit the gate."


    Rose grinned. "I''m excited¡­ I''ve been taking fewer  walks,  so hopefully, we might get lucky and run into a gremlin or something."


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Lily gulped. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen a gremlin before¡­"


    "They''re pushovers," Rose answered, waving her hand dismissively. "Other than their sticky fingers, they aren''t much of a threat. They  do  have a bit of a nasty bite if you let them get too close."


    Lily nodded. "Don''t let them bite me. Got it!"


    When they reached the gate, they were greeted by a familiar face¡ªOz.


    "Hey! Good to see you again!" Oz said cheerfully as he gave Lily a friendly wave.


    "Hi," Lily replied shyly as she waved back. "Thanks again for the help and getting us home.''


    "Oh, that? Don''t mention it¡­" Oz chuckled. "The guards were mightily embarrassed by that whole fiasco. The captain made us do much larger patrols and even started distributing more crossbows to some of us. I only recently finished my marksman training."


    "Oh¡­ I''m sorry," Lily replied. She felt guilty that he was being forced to train because of her.


    "What? Don''t be sorry, it''s  our  job!" Oz replied. "In fact, it should be  us  who apologize. We would always ignore flying monsters like dire hawks since there''d never been an incident with them before. I was worried the experience might have made you decide to be a shut-in and never leave the city again."


    "Bah! Lily''s not a coward to let one little incident like that get to her!" Rose interjected.


    "Good¡­ I''m glad," Oz said with relief in his eyes.


    He must have felt guilty since he took us to the flower patch¡­ I should have sought him out sooner to let him know I was alright.


    Lily had wondered why she hadn''t seen him at the gate, but his crossbow training must have kept him busy. Although they had tried their best not to draw attention to themselves when they went to the ritual site.


    The ritual!? Don''t we need to get rid of it or something?  Lily suddenly remembered.


    "Well, don''t let me keep you two. Hope you enjoy some fresh air!" Oz said, giving a friendly salute.


    "Thanks! Gonna look to see if any slimes or gremlins have spawned," Rose said with a mischievous grin.


    "Ah!" Oz said as he lightly punched his palm. "So you''re the one the other guards mentioned who was cleaning the surroundings!"


    "Oh? Rumors are spreading about me?" Rose said, puffing out her chest proudly.


    Oz chuckled, "It was mostly bets on whether you would join the adventurers or the guards. A few were thankful their job was done for them."


    "Definitely an adventurer!" Rose immediately responded. "No offense, but I can''t handle standing around all day as a guard."


    "Ha! None taken," Oz dismissed with a chuckle. "I just like the stable pay, plus occasionally some excitement comes around like you two to make the day less monotonous. Speaking of which, I better get back to my post."


    They all waved goodbye and continued out. When they were far enough away from the gate, Lily spoke first.


    "We forgot about the ritual site!" Lily hissed.


    "Oh¡­ Right!" Rose replied. "Were we supposed to try to destroy it or something?"


    "I have no idea¡­" Lily admitted. "Can we even? It''s a giant rock circle."


    Rose clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I suppose without Arakil whipping up another magic page, we might not be able to? We could make a slight detour and see if it''s still around?"


    Lily nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Maybe it even deteriorated on its own?"


    "Now,  that  would be convenient!" Rose chuckled.


    They continued to chat while they started heading toward the forest. Lily was paying attention to their immediate surroundings while Rose tried her best to scout for any small monsters so they could try fighting.


    "Damn, have the other brats been stealing my turf?" Rose muttered angrily.


    Lily shrugged before something shimmering caught her eye. She immediately pointed toward it.


    "Oh! Good eye!" Rose said excitedly. "It''s a slime!"


    Rose began rushing closer, with Lily trailing after. Lily found the little slime oddly cute, with its blue jelly that it used to bounce around in. In the center of its blue goop was a bright red crystal orb.


    "Okay!" Rose excitedly clapped. "So¡­  Slimes are especially weak; they mostly just eat bugs and stuff. Attacking their jelly body does nothing, but a good blow to their core is enough to kill them. They''re pretty fragile, so it should be perfect for you!"


    Lily frowned slightly as she saw the little slime blob sloshing around, barely even noticing the two of them. It currently looked like it was trying to eat a dandelion.


    "Is this really a monster? It seems kinda harmless¡­" Lily mumbled.


    "Yup!" Rose responded. "They just have pretty bad eyesight; as soon as you get in their range, they try to eat you. Just these blue ones are super weak, so at worst, you''ll get a stinging sensation if you touch it directly."


    "How do you know that?" Lily asked.


    "Well¡­ I once threw a slime at one of the other kids," Rose admitted.


    "What?" Lily gasped in shock.


    "He had it coming!" Rose growled. "Asshole grabbed my tail. He''s lucky I didn''t punch his teeth out."


    Lily nodded and was glad Rose had taken the lesser options of revenge.


    Rose snorted and pointed at the slime. "Anyway¡­ Watch. I''ll get close, and you''ll see it come at me like I was food and start trying to blob me."


    Rose got closer to the slime, and once she was a few steps away, the slime''s entire body warbled, and it started oozing toward her. Lily frowned; what was once a cute, bluish ball shape was now a small, writhing mass of tendrils seeking food.


    "See? Totally a monster!" Rose said as she briskly walked backward and away from the slime. "Anyway, why don''t you try shooting it with your paper spell?"


    "Okay!" Lily agreed and pulled out one of the pages with the simple firebolt glyph she had crafted.


    "Remember to aim for the core!" Rose reminded her.


    Lily nodded again. She held the page with the glyph facing outwards as if it were a proclamation and tried her best to line up her protruding arm toward the slime center.


    She reached inside herself and began spinning her Mana Core, releasing the flow of Mana into her entire body. After the brief exhilaration filled her, she guided it as best as possible toward the hand. As soon as she felt the Mana filling her fingers, the page lit up with a soft orange glow before immediately burning up.


    A tiny flame apparated barely an inch away from where the page once was before it fired forward in the shape of a drill. The tiny, flaming projectile surged forward, effortlessly burning through the slime layers before scoring a direct hit against the ruby-red slime core.


    The slime core shattered, and the entire creature exploded into a scattering of black flecks. Lily couldn''t help but recall how the dire hawk had died in a similarly showy fashion, except not  nearly  as quickly as this.


    Lily''s thoughts were interrupted by a friendly slap on the back from a  very  happy-looking dragon girl.

 Chapter 40 - Growing

    Chapter 40 - Growing


    "Congrats!" Rose shouted with a big cheesy grin. "Your second ever monster kill!"


    Lily finally breathed; she hadn''t even realized she was holding it until now. "Thanks¡­ But it''s kind of my first. I don''t think the dire hawk counts?"


    "The dire hawk totally counts!" Rose disagreed. "Anyway, that was a pretty nice flame! Very precise!"


    Lily blushed. "Thanks¡­ I''m just glad I didn''t miss."


    "That would have been a little embarrassing." Rose teased. "After defeating a dire hawk, you''re defeated by a mere slime."


    Rose laughed, and Lily found herself joining in with a giggle.


    "So, do you feel any different?" Rose asked.


    "I''m not sure¡­ I don''t think so?" Lily questioned, tilting her head.


    She placed her hand on her right chest before closing her eyes. She wanted to try interacting with her Mana Core when she recalled what Arakil had mentioned about monsters. Instead, she began a spiral cycle and nearly gasped in surprise.


    There''s more ambient Mana!


    She quickly started cycling it. Although there were faint traces of black specks in the Mana, she increased her spiral to give it enough time to purify the black specks before they reached the center of her silvery moon.


    The monsters turn into black flakes when they die, so this must be from the slime, right?  Lily wondered.


    She was relieved when the black specks turned into the pure, glowing motes she was familiar with; much like how she had purified the red Mana that came from Rose''s blood. When she was done, she sighed in relief, although she was slightly disappointed at how little there was.


    It was only a slime¡­ Can''t be too greedy.


    "Well?" Rose asked when Lily opened her eyes.


    "There was more ambient Mana; it looked a little like the black flakes the monsters turn into," Lily explained.


    "Awesome! So your Mana Core grew?" Rose asked excitedly.


    Lily held up her hand and pinched her thumb and index finger. "Maybe a tiny, tiny bit. I would have struggled to notice it if the ambient Mana wasn''t  so  bad."


    "Makes sense," Rose nodded in agreement. "It  was  only a little slime. Hopefully, we can find a gremlin or something!"


    Rose held out two fingers from her closed hand, then made a shooting gesture before a mimicry of the firebolt spell Lily had just produced shot out from her fingertips into the ground.


    Rose grinned. "Then we kill it, and both grow stronger!" She tapped her chest, "I got a  tiny  surge of energy from your kill, so it looks like we  do  split the power! You and me, all the way to the top!"


    "Yeah!" Lily agreed, trying her best to match Rose''s enthusiasm.


    They couldn''t see anything nearby after the slime, so they went to the forest. However, before they reached it, Lily remembered that she hadn''t applied her shield talisman.


    Pulling out the small piece of paper, she slapped it against her chest to activate it. The paper glowed with silvery light before fastening itself to her. A few inches away from her body was a semi-translucent glow covering the front of her body. One could, if they looked closely enough, see the interlocking hexagons on the glowing outline.


    Lily pulled out another one and handed it to Rose, who slapped it on her back so that she could reproduce the effect.


    "I don''t understand why you couldn''t just make one that surrounded your whole body like the last time?" Rose wondered aloud.


    "The glyph ink isn''t strong enough for that. Well, at least not for any reasonable duration," Lily explained. "I have a slightly different type that Arakil suggested as well; I can hold it in my hand and activate it like a shield. It''s much larger and better, but I can''t leave it on passively like this."


    "I guess this is more to protect against surprise attacks¡­" Rose suggested.


    "Yeah¡­" Lily replied. "Hopefully, once I can imbue my own ink or learn spells, I can just use those instead. But these work for now."


    With their preparations out of the way, they continued into the forest. Rose''s presence immediately made some of the creatures flee, so the dragon girl rushed them down and swiftly dispatched them. It seemed to mostly be animals, like wolves.


    Rose swiftly dealt with them before Lily could even think about it, and when she tried to perform the spiral meditation, she noticed it produced significantly less than the slime had.


    Is it because it''s not  technically  a monster? These aren''t even dire wolves yet. Or is it because Rose killed them?  Lily wondered.


    The next wolf they came across, Lily quickly tried to claim it, but the wolf fled out of the range of her firebolt, and the spell dispersed into nothingness.


    Rose quickly finished the job with her own firebolt and then turned to Lily with an apologetic smile.


    "You almost had it!" Rose reassured her. "If you weren''t limited by range, I think that would have been a direct hit!"


    Lily''s ears drooped. "Yeah¡­ If only they would stop running away."


    "Sorry¡­ Looks like the forest critters don''t like me very much," Rose replied as she scratched the back of her head.


    "Don''t worry about it," Lily dismissed Rose''s concerns. "I''ll get my chance eventually. Maybe I need to adjust my next glyph to have a 30-meter range?"


    "Or¡­ Maybe sneak around with the shadow cloak?" Rose suggested.


    "If it''s daytime, I don''t know how effective that will be, but it might work!" Lily answered.


    They continued their trek into the forest when Rose spotted something hanging from under a large tree¡ªa giant spider.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "There''s something for you to shoot at!" Rose said excitedly.


    Lily shuddered a little. "I hate spiders¡­" She whispered.


    Rose giggled. "Well! If you hate them, you can take it out by burning them! Nothing like solving your problems with a thorough application of fire."


    Rose gave a teasing wink with a playful expression, but Lily failed to find the humor. She  really  hated spiders, and the giant variety certainly made things worse.


    To try to calm herself down a bit, she did a quick cycle of her Mana Core. The refreshing sensation seemed to help a little, so she gathered her courage and pulled out her scroll.


    "I hate to say this¡­ But I think you need to get a bit closer," Rose informed Lily.


    Lily gulped and began carefully sneaking forward. The spider seemed not to even notice them, or perhaps they were lucky, and it was distracted or uncaring about their presence. Eventually, Rose held out a hand for Lily to stop and pointed towards the dangling creature.


    Lily held her breath as she pulled out another page. She wanted to scream as she began lining up the shot, which unfortunately meant she had to pay very close attention to the monstrous spider.


    Why do they have to have so many legs!? And those creepy hairs on its back? And those fangs¡­ And the web¡­ Ugh¡­


    She focused the Mana on her fingers, and the page once again burned into orange scraps. The firebolt flew out and struck the spider.


    Direct hit!  Lily cheered.


    The spider fell from its web and hit the ground with a sickening sound. Lily thought perhaps it was dead already, but it then began to writhe on the ground and let out a hissing noise as it burnt.


    "Ugh¡­ Gross¡­" Rose admitted.


    Lily grabbed her ears and pulled them down over her face as she closed her eyes, trying her best to put the sound and sights out of her mind. She started the spiral cycling, awaiting the sudden burst of black flecks when the spider died.


    Moments later, there was another influx of the blackish Mana, and Lily got to work. It seemed like a larger amount than the slime, which meant it was either more monstrous than the wolves or doing the job herself was more rewarding.


    Or maybe even both? If we encounter another spider, I''ll leave it up to Rose.


    When Lily was done, she explained the findings to Rose.


    "Hmm¡­" Rose mumbled as she contemplated before she shrugged sheepishly. "No idea. But I''ll gladly burn the next spider to a crisp."


    "Please do¡­" Lily pleaded.


    "Well, we are almost at the ritual site. After that, we better head back before anyone starts getting worried."


    Lily nodded. They certainly hadn''t planned on taking this much of a detour, but she was worried about the ritual site. They certainly hadn''t done any cleanup since the event, and who knows what questions might be raised if someone stumbled across it?


    To her dismay and relief, they didn''t encounter another giant spider before trudging through the brush to the tiny glade they had used for the ritual. When they breached into the clearing, Lily gasped at what she saw.


    A small pack of tiny monsters skittered across the stone disc. They appeared to be defacing it by either smearing mud across it or trying to scratch and break it with rocks and pointed sticks.


    They had oversized heads bobbing atop wiry, hunched bodies. Each had an enormous mouth filled with rows of tiny, jagged teeth that clattered as they chattered.


    Their colorful skin shimmered in a wild array¡ªneon green with black patches, a jaundiced yellow, and swirling orange and purple stripes.


    Long, pointed ears twitched with every sound, and their bug-like eyes gleamed with mischief. They moved as a chaotic unit, giggling and jostling one another.


    "Gremlins!" Rose said in an excited whisper.


    "Those  are gremlins?" Lily asked, having never seen them in person.


    "Yeah¡­ We might have hit the jackpot¡­" Rose grinned fiendishly.


    Lily gulped. She wasn''t sure if she should be more afraid of the gremlins or Rose''s glee.


    "What''s the plan?" Lily asked in a hushed whisper.


    "I''ve never seen this many before¡­" Rose admitted. "They are pretty weak. I could go in and distract them while you take potshots and hopefully hit a few."


    "That sounds dangerous!" Lily said in a hissed whisper. "What if I accidentally hit you?"


    Rose gave a toothy smile. "No offense, Lily, but I don''t think you can burn me."


    Lily gaped but then nodded. It  was  a truth that you never wanted to get into a fire fight with a Dragia.


    Lily had hoped or expected some more discussion or preparations, but that all went out of the window when Rose basically leaped out of the bush and charged toward the stone disc with fiery ferocity. Snarling, claws out, and tail whipped up into a frenzy.


    Lily gulped and pulled out two pages, keeping one of the other shield spells in her left hand while holding another firebolt in her right before sneakily approaching.


    Rose had no subtlety. Upon seeing the fiery dragon, the gremlins nearly panicked but masked it with a chittering cacophony of a laugh. The first one Rose made contact with, she punted with a swift kick¡ªsending it skidding across the stone surface.


    The hostile action sent the other gremlins into a frenzy. They gnashed their teeth and began to hop and bounce around. The ones with mud, sticks, and stones began flinging them toward her.


    With a backhanded wave, Rose chuckled and sent a small gout of flame that incinerated the makeshift projectiles. She then charged at the nearest gremlin and landed a solid flaming punch against it before she started laughing.


    Lily was so startled that she nearly forgot to fire her own attacks. She''d never seen this side of Rose before, or at least never to this degree.


    I really hope her trip with Lady Desthu calms her down a bit¡­  Lily secretly hoped.


    Grasping the page in her hand, she lined up a shot at the gremlin recovering from the kick. The firebolt manifested and soared with blazing speed, striking the tiny monster. It let out an ear-piercing screech before exploding into black flakes.


    Lily pulled out another page. She was rapidly running out of the basic attack ones, and if her memory was correct, she had, at best, two more left. She fired another firebolt at one, but in her panic, the shot went wide and missed.


    The gremlin spotted her after the attack and grinned with its enlarged mouth showing rows upon rows of jagged teeth. Lily wanted to scream, but the sight was interrupted by the gremlin being engulfed in an explosion of flame¡ªRose!


    Rose was a one-girl fiery tornado, and it looked like Lily wouldn''t even have the chance to use her final firebolt spell. Lily was basking in the action scene when there was a cracking sound behind her, followed by something sending her plunging face forward.


    Lily cried out in shock as she fell but remained uninjured. She noticed the remnants of the talisman burning up.


    Something attacked me from behind!


    In a frantic panic, she activated the shield glyph in her left hand and tumbled around to face her attacker. Another gremlin must have been hiding; its blue polka-dotted skin looked hideous as it gave Lily a sharky smirk.


    The shield glyph activated, and a hemisphere of brightly glowing and interlocking hexagons manifested. The magical construct was anchored to Lily''s left hand, which she held out defensively in front of herself.


    The gremlin lunged forward but failed to break through the shield. It tried again and again but was unable to penetrate it. Lily saw cracks starting to form in the hemisphere, and she quickly grabbed the final firebolt talisman. She tried to dump Mana into it immediately, bringing it face forward to the gremlin.


    The gremlin snarled moments before the bolt of flame struck it directly in its toothy maw and continued to soar out through the back of its throat. There wasn''t even time for it to screech before it exploded into black flecks.