I left the library disappointed in my lack of findings. Research has always been one of my strong suits. Of course, a researcher is only as good as their resources and it was clear I didn’t have the best reference materials for this topic. Not that I could blame the Praecantian researchers. After all, how would they know about the blessings given by gods from another world. Perhaps I would perform my own series of experiments…but how would I do so without revealing my new-found ability?

“Good evening Elliot,” Fiena greeted me, pulling my attention as I approached the guest house.

Behind her a small wagon with a large box filled to the brim. The wagon looked like it would be difficult to pull across the ground. Perhaps it was designed for indoor use only.

“Good evening Fiena,” I returned. “Would you like some help with that?”

“Oh, yes please,” she said. “This wagon is a bit difficult outside. I should have used a different one.”

So there were other options.

I took the wagon handle from Fiena. Hoping that I would have better luck moving it. “So where are we heading?” I asked with a newfound purpose.

It was still a bit early for our lesson, so I figured she was still doing palace chores.

Fiena gave me a sly smile. “To the guest house please.”

The guest house? I wonder what she could be delivering to the … wait. “Is this?” I said hopeful.

“Yup,” she grinned. “It’s finally time to absorb some high quantities of mana.”

Excellent. Then these were the ingredients to the mana absorption spell.

Pulling the wagon, we made it the rest of the way to the guest house, before I realized, I wouldn’t be able to pull the wagon up the stairs…I wonder if there is a dumb waiter in the guest house. Although that wouldn’t help us get up the large front stairs.

As we approached the stairs, I had the suspicion we would be lugging the materials up the stairs.

“I was planning on surprising you by having everything set up,” Fiena said as we each took a side of the wooden box containing the supplies. “Unfortunately, you seem to have gotten out early from your meeting with Sir Belethier. But I do appreciate the help moving all of this.”

Her smile made the effort worth it, but made me wonder how she planned to get this crate up the stairs by herself. Perhaps she intended to receive assistance from one of the house servants or just carry the materials up one at a time. I would have thought a couple of smaller boxes would have been the better way to go.

“Actually,” I said, taking care of my footing, “Sir Belethier canceled today’s session as well. The high council was meeting about something.”

“Really? I hadn’t heard that,” Fiena said, almost surprised. “Do you know what they are meeting about?”

Honestly, I had my suspicions but there was no way to be certain. “I’m not really sure,” I answered, “But I wonder if it might have to do with my duel with Sir Belethier’s grandson.”

Finally we reached the doorway. None too soon as my fingers were beginning to slip. Perhaps Fiena was stronger than she looked. She didn’t appear to be struggling at all. Maybe that was the benefit of working out your physical mana affinity since birth.

“Do you think they will be deciding your fate?” she said in an odd tone I couldn’t quite place.

“I don’t know. I just hope I don’t get punished severely for this.”

“Oh I don’t think you have to worry too much about that,” she smirked. “You are a hero after all.”

Little did she know. I wasn’t really a hero.

“So,” she continued, “Have you decided which affinity you are going to try to absorb? Light, earth, tool, physical, or perhaps one of the affinities you received traveling through the interdimensional void.”

Little did she know. I didn’t have any affinities at all.

“I was actually thinking about earth or physical mana,” I said looking back down the stairs. I realized if I chose earth I would have to lug the box back down the stairs to the ground, but if I chose physical I would have to lug the box up the stairs to my room. Either way … I had to lug that box again.

“What are your other affinities?” she asked. “Perhaps that might influence the affinity you choose.”

I thought you weren’t supposed to ask about other’s affinities. Besides I didn’t have any so what should I say?

“Why would that matter?” I tried to sidestep the issue.

“Well, for example if you have the other elemental affinities then I would recommend earth affinity mana to aim for a mage-like capacity. If you have more physically oriented affinities like beast or nature affinity then I would recommend rounding out those with physical or tool affinity absorption.”

I see, then I should try to group affinities. Well that doesn’t really help me as I don’t have any at the moment.

“Then…I think I’ll go with the physical mana affinity,” I said.

“I see, then you have beast and nature affinity? That’s okay, but remember to activate the physical mana absorption you will need another person to help you cycle your mana. Perhaps we could ask the other hero.”

No, it was more that I struggled to carry this heavy box despite her not seeming to struggle at all. Wait, ‘ask the other hero.’ “Why can’t I just cycle mana with you?” I asked.

Fiena blushed a bit before answering. “Two reasons. First, the mana training can be seen as a bit intimate. So your friendship might make the interaction less awkward. Second, I am not a hero. Without the mana reserves of a hero, I doubt cycling mana with me would bring the best results.”

Wait, intimate? How intimate were we talking? Sure Bella’s my friend, but there is definitely a limit. Should I ask? Maybe we have different definitions of…no maybe I should just pick the earth mana absorption. Yeah, then I could avoid anything…awkward.

“Maybe I should work on absorbing earth mana instead,” I said.

“Oh then you have elemental affinities as well?” Fiena said, a bit surprised. “I suppose that makes sense. Heroes have five or six affinities after they travel through the interdimensional void, right?”

She sure knew a lot about hero summoning. Perhaps she began researching as we became friends.

Alright let’s leave her with the misunderstanding. That way I didn’t have to explain that my affinities were equivalent because I didn’t have any.

“Then shall we get this box back down the stairs,” I said uneasily.

With a sigh Fiena bent down to pick up the box. “Are you sure that the other hero wouldn’t want to improve her physical mana affinity? It is one of the few mana’s two people can train with this spell.”

“No, she already has the physical mana affinity and hasn’t done any kind of affinity training yet. So, I doubt she would need or want to participate in the spell,” I said. It was possibly true, but moreover I didn’t want Bella worried about my taking part in the mana absorption spell at all. After all, I was only going through with this to try and keep up with her.

Taking hold of the wooden crate, Fiena and I moved back down the stairs. We loaded the wagon back up and made our way to a spot on the edge of the bailey behind some buildings. According to Fiena, a perfect hideaway from guard rotations.

I used my [mana sight]-like ability to find the highest concentration of earth mana. Of course, I must have looked like a dog walking around looking for the best way to lay down to Fiena who knew nothing about my [mana sight]-like ability.

“I think right here would be good,” I said, deciding on a location with a dense and consistent earth mana flow.

“Okay,” Fiena said. “Although I don’t think it really matters so long as you are on the ground.”

Little did she know.

With a location decided we took out the materials and scroll, and quickly began to set up the magic spell.

Fiena appeared to be in a bit of a hurry. Perhaps she was anxious to see if the spell actually worked.

The most intensive part of the spell setup was definitely the intricate magic circle. The magic circle for earth contained a large triangle with a line through it as the primary symbol. It was surrounded by symbols I recognized as being from the magic language (although I couldn’t read them) and several rings of designs. I would be sitting within the large triangle as the spell was activated.

The magic circle itself was laid out with a mana-infused metal powder (the most expensive of the materials we needed to acquire). At the three points of the triangle we placed large rocks Fiena found lying around. I wondered if the spell would work better if the stones were mana-infused as well, but it was a bit late for that now.

I found the inclusion of various magic circles relating to the sixteen affinity types to be a particularly important and odd addition to the scroll. I would think that each affinity would have its own scroll with spell incantations and symbols.

In addition to the magic circle, Fiena or I would need to chant a spell incantation designed to specifically activate the absorption of earth mana, by calling on the god related to the earth mana affinity. Pration, I believe.

“Alright,” Fiena finally said, giving one last look over the scroll. “It looks like that’s it. If you’re ready, we can begin at any time.”