Chapter 64
"Do you want to continue searching for information?"
Sylas quickly shook her head and hid the draft paper she had just copied behind her back. "No, I'm going to bed. How about you?"
"Me too, I'm done. I was about to go back when I found a little mouse in the library."
Sylas smiled shyly at her, her cheeks turning apple red. Xerath reached out and gently tapped her nose. "I didn't want to scare you. I thought of quietly walking away, not knowing you had been here for so long."
Sylas pouted and thought, "It's not my fault!" But still said, "I'm sorry... Shall I walk you back... like always..."
Xerath pressed her warm fingertips against Sylas's lips and leaned in, wrapping her arm around Sylas's shoulder. "Let's go, I'll walk you back. You feel too cold."
Sylas's body leaned forward, pulling Sylas along as they walked. She placed the draft paper under her own book on the desk, and then Xerath escorted her back to her room.
In the end, she received a goodnight kiss that came late into the night, and a warm and fragrant hug. She loved it so much that she couldn't help but roll around on her bed after Xerath left.
Wait, this is really bad. Xerath is not only not napping at noon anymore, but she's also staying awake at night, wandering in the library. Sylas remembered this and felt regret as she spread out on the bed.
Did she discover that I've been secretly doing something bad behind her back, so she comes out every day to stop me? Have I lost the privilege to play with her?
Actually, this isn't the worst news. The next morning at the dining table, when she saw Xerath, the latter looked at her with gray eyes.
"You're a little late."
"I'm sorry..."
"It's okay, my little creature. Actually, I don't plan on going to class today."
Sylas widened her eyes in disbelief, "Wh- why? Did I... Did I... Did I do something wrong?"
Xerath's hand reached across the entire table and held her tightly clenched fist, "I received a meeting invitation, I have to go to Sotralo. It will probably take five days for me to come back. I'll leave this afternoon, so I need to pack in the morning."
This means she won't see Xerath for a week. This realization momentarily left her mind blank. Then, she grabbed Xerath's hand in return, "Then, I... I..."
The bright green eyes shimmered and then looked down. "Can't I go with you?"
Xerath smiled, "The meeting is really boring. It's better to stay at home and read. I don't really want to attend the meeting if possible."
"But you still went..."
"It's something adults have to do. It's very complicated. If you really want to know, I'll find time during the meeting to write you a letter explaining, okay?"
Sylas nodded and let go of Xerath's hand.
"That's settled then." Xerath didn't immediately withdraw her hand, but gently patted Sylas's hand and then started eating her breakfast.
A typical researcher's breakfast: two beef patties, two slices of toast with butter, sausages, baked beans, steamed scrambled eggs, bacon, and grilled mushrooms. Sylas didn't have much appetite and reluctantly finished the toast and sausages. She quietly asked if the fire lord chef could save her breakfast for lunch.
Xerath, on the other hand, ate quickly. After the meal, she didn't immediately leave, but instead pulled Sylas to stand in the living room.
"This is the first time I've left you at home. I'm really worried... Remember to go to bed on time."
"Yes."
"Without magical support, Elvis can stay in the fireplace for two days, I mean in a sleeping state. You need to activate it with magic every day, so it doesn't return to the Elemental Realm, otherwise you'll have to cook for yourself."
"Okay."
"Without Hyectra to chat with, you might get bored."
A gentleman in deep blue bowed politely behind Xerath, "It's a pity, miss, but I believe you wouldn't be too bored without my company."
"Yes, in fact, I have a chance to advance my reading plan a lot." Sylas looked up and forced a smile at Xerath.
"You're still young, I can't give you the teleportation stone for the Portal. So you also can't go out to play... I'm sorry, but I hope you understand, alright?"
"You don't have to be like that! ...I don't have any plans to go out..."
Xerath smiled lightly, "Remember to do some cleaning, and remember to help me with the laundry. My clothes are in the basket in the upstairs bathroom, and also label the books we bought last time. If you get bored after finishing everything, you can play with Titus. I'll go pack up and get ready to leave."
Titus carefully lifted his head from the food bowl, his fluffy ears popping up from the top of his head. He even took a few steps back and hid behind the sofa, only peeping out half his face. He made sure that the person mentioning his name didn't plan on rubbing him right now, before cautiously walking back to the food bowl.
She slowly stepped back, letting go of Sylas's hand, but Sylas followed her all the way to the door.
Xerath calmly reassured, "I just sometimes go away for a few days, but I will come back."
"Hmm... hmm." Sylas reluctantly released her hand, watching her disappear at the end of the stairs.
Hearing the sound of her closing the door, Sylas sighed, then realized that Xerath wasn't home. That meant she could use the library without any restrictions, without having to sneak around. However, this exciting news didn't make her happy at all.
Because she wouldn't see Xerath for a few days. They had been together almost all the time for five years. She could look up and see her, even when she was looking down at her own book, she could still hear her occasional "existence" sounds.
But now she would be completely gone from Aimekotes for a few days. She and Xerath wouldn't breathe same air in the tower anymore. The elements in this place were disoriented, just like her, uncertain about Elemental King's departure.
With nowhere else to go, she held Titus for a while in the living room, then went downstairs to the library. She randomly picked up a book from the desk and stared blankly. Soon, Xerath came in, followed by the water lord steward. She took a few booklets from the table, and as she turned around, Hyectra opened the small leather suitcase in her hand. Xerath put the booklets inside, along with a draft paper, a stationery box, and an ink bottle.
Xerath seemed done packing, she left the table and gently patted Sylas's shoulder. "I'm leaving, take care of yourself."
"Okay... Okay, please come back quickly."
"Of course, I remember my little wild creature waiting for me at home, all sad and longing."
Sylas was amused by her, "That's exactly right."
Xerath touched her face and walked towards the depths of the library. Her golden magic scattered everywhere. Spiral golden lines shot out from her hand and landed on the teleportation array.
The golden runes lit up one by one. The heavy stone ring floated and rotated in mid-air. Xerath lifted her leg and stepped inside, then disappeared into it.
The runes gradually dimmed.
Sylas felt lost and stared blankly at the spot for a long time, until the clock rang again. She suddenly snapped out of it and jumped out of her chair.
Xerath is not at home! All the books belong to her!
She nestled in the cozy cushion at the end of the bookshelf, and found all of Sashara's articles from their home magazines. She transcribed a copy for her twin companion, not forgetting the names of co-authors this time.
From the title, one cannot see any problems. They are all very theoretical. Given the reputation of Teacher Emerson, she opened the article titled "Mana, Spell Intensity, and Siphon Phenomenon" first.
The reason for choosing this article is not only because it is co-authored by both Emerson and Sashara, but also because Xerath's name is mentioned. At the same time, it is positioned prominently in the index (oh my, this journal has a long history, with a thick index comprising ten volumes). Due to the long history of the journal, almost none of Xerath's previous magazines before Aimekotes were included (probably because they weren't purchased), only this special one.
Maybe it's because of its commemorative significance. Looking at the date, it was published 535 years after the guild was established.
This article roughly discusses how a mage's mana affects the effectiveness of an individual spell.
The amount of mana a mage possesses is not directly related to the intensity of the spell's impact. It is directly related to the spell's potency, which is the ability to harness mana within a given time frame. However, this article points out that the "mana" of an elemental mage is not directly useful. Instead, it causes the connection between dimensions, creating a tidal force between them to drive elemental forces.
As a mage's mana becomes deeper, they "reach" the depths of the elemental world. The elemental world is like a pool. When you open a valve at the bottom of the pool, the water is undoubtedly expelled due to its immense pressure. Similarly, elemental power spontaneously surges out.
Sylas hasn't finished reading, but these seemingly magical words have already stirred up some vague thoughts, perhaps some lingering answers in her mind. Isn't this similar to the "Endless Water Realm"? All the water lords reside in the depths of the water domain. They cannot stay in shallow waters for too long, or they will disintegrate under their own power. Does this mean that mages must have enough mana to reach the depths of the Endless Water Realm?
Her thoughts were wandering when a line of text caught her attention.
Sylas took some time to calm down and focus on that line of text.
"As an example of the summoning spell of the Water Lord, "a Water Lord with power equal to mine..." This sentence explains that if a mage's magic is not strong enough to reach the depths of the 'Endless Water Realm', their summoning will undoubtedly fail to get the attention of any Water Lord - because they simply don't exist in the 'Shallow Water Domain.'"
