The next day, when Yuder awoke, his side was empty. But the hard, round candy still held tightly in his clenched fist assured him that last night's events were no dream. He fiddled with the candy, fumbling with the wrapper to open it. After a long time, he finally managed to put the candy in his mouth. The taste was as sweet and tangy as he remembered.

He lay there, listening to the boisterous voices echoing from somewhere. The exterior bustled with an unusual energy, as if the previously silent house had regained its owners, making the tranquility of the moments before seem like a lie.

It wasn't hard for him to guess why the atmosphere had suddenly changed. It was due to the magic casting scheduled for that day.

"Oh? Yuder, are you awake?"

Around the time he had completely melted and swallowed the candy, Gakane opened the door and entered. With his sharp intuition, he quickly noticed Yuder's wakefulness and came closer.

"Did the noise wake you? I kept asking them to prepare quietly, but they're all like that... Are you still sleepy? How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Not bad."

Upon hearing Yuder's reply, Gakane felt his forehead for a fever, then assisted him to sit up.

"Everyone's a bit frantic preparing for the magic casting this evening. But you, of course, just have to have a normal meal with the priest as usual, so don't worry too much."

"No, he must take his medicine too."

Priest Lusan, who had followed Gakane into the room, added from the side. It seemed Lusan was also looking forward to the events of the day, his voice notably brighter than usual. Yuder finished a simple meal with their help, then had the bandages on his arms, legs, and face changed.

"Since you'll be going outside today, I brought your bag. We thought you should dress warmly. Is there any specific clothing you'd prefer?"

"No, anything is fine."

"Hmm... Okay then... Oh."

While rummaging through the bag, Priest Lusan suddenly picked up something that had fallen out between the clothes, a puzzled look on his face.

"What is this? Is it a magic stone?"

There was only one item in Yuder's humble belongings that could be called a magic stone. Yuder remembered the stone, a power medium he had received from Kishiar before coming to the west.

"If it's the stone with a dark red hue... yes, it's something similar. May I see it?"

Yuder took the cold stone handed over by Lusan. The journey to the west had been quicker than expected, and he hadn't had the chance to directly examine the medium's power. Holding the medium after a long time, its touch felt strange and unfamiliar.

'Kishiar said this stone has an amplification effect when power is poured into it... I wonder if it would have been better to use this against Pethuamet.'

But even without it, Yuder had been confident enough to face Pethuamet at that time, and he had succeeded. Although the unexpected inversion of blood had led him to this state, he hadn't been desperate enough to gamble on an untested, uncertain element.

Yuder put the stone aside without regret. Gakane and Lusan seemed curious about the nature of the medium, but upon hearing it was a gift from Kishiar, they quickly accepted and withdrew their interest.

The rest of the day passed as usual. Through the members who visited in turns, Yuder heard about the preparations for the grand magic being conducted near the Magic Spring Ruins. Occasionally, when his fever rose or dropped, Lusan was by his side, offering a damp towel or a warm heat pack.

Finally, as the sun began to set, Lusan gave him a few pills.

"I've prepared a concoction with a greater proportion of pain-relieving herbs than before. I heard you might experience pain as the spell progresses. I'm not sure about its effectiveness, but... I wish this were the last time I had to offer you this."

"Thank you, Priest."

Lusan let out a shy laugh at the sincere thanks. He untied the holy symbol hanging around his neck and held it in Yuder's hand as he offered a short prayer.

"May the warmth of the Light shine equally upon you, Yuder, and upon us all."

As the prayer came to an end, there was a knock on the door from outside. The ones who entered were the Eldore siblings and an unexpected guest.

"I brought this mage here because she kept coming and going outside. She said she has some business with Yuder."

"...It's Lorna Beit."

Yuder was taken aback at the identity of the hesitating mage. He hadn't expected that she, who had been more devoted than anyone else to studying the Magic Springs, would come here.

She introduced herself and then remained silent for a long time. Yuder waited for a while, then sighed and took the initiative to speak.

"Have your injuries from before fully healed?"

"...Yes. Thanks to your help, there are no traces left now. I'm healthy."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Lorna had been injured in a fight with Pethuamet, who had absorbed the power of the amplification circle, and had been carried here. Yuder had been a bit worried about whether she would fully recover, given his last memories of her condition. It was a relief that she was fully healed.

"When I was injured and in danger... I later heard that you were a great help. I wanted to apologize for my actions then, but I only now have come to do so."

"You don't have to apologize."

Yuder had hardly expected someone like Lorna to heed his warnings from the beginning. He didn't want to hear an apology in this manner, not when it wasn't her fault that Yuder got hurt, and she didn't contribute any more to the injury treatment than the priests did. However, it seemed as if Lorna misunderstood his intention, her voice losing some of its energy.

"I see. I figured you wouldn't accept it. Well, it's only to be expected."

As Yuder considered whether or not to correct her, she hurriedly continued speaking.

"All along, I've always thought that a mage must naturally bear the minor dangers that occur during research. I also thought it was only natural for others not to understand mages. Especially for an Awakener. But... after going through this incident, I've had a lot of thoughts."

"..."

Lorna had been saved several times by Awakeners. The research they conducted almost caused great harm beyond the Great Sarain Forest to other regions, and the one who killed the massive monster and saved them from this crisis was also an Awakener. She confessed that she was shocked for the first time seeing her colleagues' humiliating inability to handle even the small monsters easily controlled by the Awakener, who knew nothing about magic, and their greed-filled obstinance.

People say that mages must be born ambitious to achieve greatness, but no one had taught her how ugly that could become. That ugly sight was the dark side of herself that Lorna had been ignoring.

"I used to be proud of being a mage... but now, I feel ashamed. Upon reflecting on the purpose of what I was doing, I feel even more so."

Lorna's gaze fell upon a black stain that couldn't be entirely hidden by the bandage. She kept silent for a long time, then lowered her head.

"It's hardly an adequate substitute for an apology, but I have worked really hard to find the solution for the spell that will be cast today. Because of this, I was able to gain the Commander of the Cavalry's permission to visit you."

Yuder was surprised to hear that she hadn't simply come on her own, but had received Kishiar's permission, but the other members were silent, perhaps suspecting something.

"I hope the answer I've found will be of help. That's all I wanted to say."

Lorna rose, gave a respectful greeting, and then left.

"I still don't like mages, but I heard she really worked hard this time. She even collapsed a few times from not sleeping and studying even though she was injured, so the priest had to be called in."

Gakane muttered a bit gruffly next to Yuder, who was remaining silent.

"I guess that's why the Commander allowed her to see you."

Yuder nodded with a strange feeling. After the members chattered about how they didn't need to accept the apology forcibly and how they needed to curb the pride of the arrogant mages, they finally calmed the atmosphere.

"Now, we're going to move you to where the source of magic, or whatever it is, is located."

The Eldore siblings surrounded Yuder and declared briefly.

"We decided to do this because, according to the results of yesterday's experiment, it seemed less burdensome than moving you directly. Kanna and the Commander will be waiting over there, so don't worry."

"And you?"

"We will follow after moving you."

Hinn and Finn held hands with Yuder between them. Yuder gently clenched the hem of his uniform cloak. The stone, the medium of power that he had taken out from his bag earlier, was in its pocket.

"We're moving now! Get ready!"

Yuder couldn't see the light flowing out from Hinn and Finn's arms, but he keenly felt the energy around his body fluctuating. It was like a small whirlwind-like storm swirling around him, and after a moment, he felt as if he was being swiftly pulled and flown somewhere.

After the fleeting sensation of being swept away like a leaf in the wind, the surrounding air changed and he was falling. Someone who had been waiting caught him gently and held him up.

"You made it alright."

Kishiar's cheerful voice came from above.

"How does it feel to move using the Eldore siblings' power?"

"...It wasn't bad."

"That's good to hear because you are fearless. Now, take this."