Putting her clothes back on, Alice marched back to the campsite where Grace was still in the same exact position as when she had left to the river previously.
Standing not too far away from him, Alice looked around--specifically towards the direction that they had came from.
"You think we should start moving?" Alice wondered aloud, a brief huff of wind gently swaying each individual hairs respectively. Grace turned his head, a puzzled look crossing his face.
"How do you feel?" He asked, ignoring the question that she had just posed.
Meeting his gaze, Alice answered. "Fine. Rejuvenated, even." Grace nodded his head, exhaling before standing up and stretching his body.
He held his hand forward, a small drain of water exiting his palm.
He frowned.
"So... uhh... my mana control is temporarily down the drain." He sighed, waiting a couple of moments. Alice shook her hand and shot her hand forward, blocks of ice encasing the fire, terminating it completely.
"Thanks," Grace said quietly. "You'll have to do the heavy lifting on our way back." Alice sighed but understood that the Magic Amplification Circle had positioned him as a double-edged sword.
Too little mana could be used.
But also too much mana could be used as well, putting him in a critical condition.
However--
Time was on the clock.
And they couldn't afford waiting out in the open for too long. Despite this village being burnt to a crisp and the only living person present previously being Benjamin Lan, this place would eventually be discovered.
And, if Benjamin had been present during the discovery, then depending on the person--his fate would be sealed in death.
Or the opposite, but it was more likely for the former.
Gathering their belongings, Grace and Alice began to stray away from the campfire. Soon, their bodies were submerged in the forest expanse, their figures walking towards where they belonged.
To the academy.
~~~
It was a few hours after Grace and Alice had left the burnt village clad in blood. And a lone figure underneath the trees that casted various illustrations of shadows.
A middle-aged man wearing a top-hat and a trench-coat spoke in a serious tone. His gaze was stern and cold with brown irises that peered at the mess. And with each step he took, there was a clear and vivid deliberate nature engraved into it.
Emerging from the forest, the moonlight accentuated his aging features--the signs of exhaust, scars, and wrinkles. And, despite the copious amounts of blood that riddled the ground beneath him--he stood firm, unyielding.
He closed his eyes, sniffing the air.
"Children... this scent... yes... a lead."
He had avoided this village for far too long despite it being in close proximity to the pond. However, it would seem as if it was an inevitability.
Destiny.
For him to finally find a lead to who - or what - killed his useless subordinates.
"Though... the despicable entity that lurks--should they be rid of?" He pondered aloud, his body still. Then, underneath that top-hat, his gaze intensified, a crooked grin appearing on his lips.
"Absolutely."
~~~
Returning to the academy wasn't all that difficult in the end.
They had stealthily avoided anything dangerous that could have hindered their progress en route to the academy. Even the weaker mana beasts that they would usually kill in order to gain ample experience were avoided due to possible complications with Grace's mana control.
In doing so, at the crack of dawn, in which the horizon was painted in the colorful hues of lilac, red, and orange, Grace and Alice reentered the city. Further, they maneuvered through the streets and got into the academy ahead of schedule.
Splitting away from each other, Grace went back to the dorms, carefully avoiding any students that may be around during a Sunday morning. Once making it into his dorm room, he was met with a surprise.
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here."
Grace froze up, the corners of his eyes twitching. He slowly turned, catching a smirking Rufus sitting on the kitchen table, acting as if he was some detective deserving of any respect and infamy.
"Missing for two - nearly two and half - whole days. Disappearing during the evening of last Friday." He tilted his head to the side, a knowing look appearing on his face.
"I spoke to... that disgusting rat Albert--he told me that you were asking for Alice's whereabouts earlier that same day." That knowing look was maintained, maybe even increased in appearance.
"You--!" Rufus pointed at Grace.
"A two day secret rendezvous with my cousin!"
~~~
Ivan was a ponderer.
He walked along the various aisles in the library, sipping on a milkshake that he bought before arriving to the clean marble building. He was trying to find books that would teach him more spells.
In this world - or novel - any person can learn how to use the basic Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind spells. However, even though an individual can learn how to use these basic elements, not everyone can muster the innate talent to fully master them.
Even further than that, not even those who "master" these elements can ascend them to their stronger forms.
But Ivan was different from them.
[Mana Genius]
The unique characteristic granted to him. It was mystical and was a key towards a path anew. To have to privilege to utilize and master these elements--it was almost a dream. However, he knew that strength did not come to fruition without the necessary effort placed.
As he walked down the aisles, his heart flowed with vigor.
These elements--I'll master them all. Every single last one of them.
Finally, the protagonist of the novel began to move. His ambitions throttling him forward towards something unclear.
~~~
Grace felt strength pour into his veins. Due to the atmosphere of the forest not being an ideal place to pray to the Creator, Grace was forced to wait until he and Alice got back into the academy to ascend to the next Grade.
"Shit," he muttered. "I might be able to get to Normal Grade 6 much faster than originally anticipated." But there was a reason as to why Professor Paul had instructed them to be Normal Grade 6 by the time first semester ended.
The wall.
It would soon become apparent to regular, mundane students that ascending to the Normal Grade 5 will take much longer than the previous Grades. There was no concrete reason, but it was often theorized that the next characteristic granted to an individual was a driving force behind the rise in difficulty in advancing.
A great shift was imminent.
From Normal Grade 5 and out--it is the gift of talent that shall decide a person's fate.
However, Grace had no intention of paying any heed towards this wall that would burden many students, discouraging themselves, creating disbelief and the like.
No.
The path was clear.
There was only way.
Foward.