-Midday - Ancient forest - Nefiru's POV-

Today's stroll ended after having an injured girl to return home, and the menacing approach of wolves, then I pace towards the Ragefire estate on the dragon path south while carrying the wounded girl lying horizontally on my back next to the folded left wing. After walking for a while, I twisted my neck back and observed Shaila looking up at the bright sky as the sun at its zenith irradiate her body when outside of the foliage's shade.

"How are you feeling?" I inquired the girl with an anguished expression.

"...Ugh... It's painful...your steps are agonizing." She replied while enduring.

Hmm... I should do something about her pain then. I affirmed before moving my magic inside her body to block pain receptors. I'm already used to lowering the pain since it can be an obstacle in fights, though over-boosted my muscles while completely blocking pain receptors made me unable to walk for some time... I recall the lightning uses.

"Better?" I asked the pouting girl.

"Mm-hmm..." She nodded slightly.

"How long are you going to be angry?" I sternly asked.

"Geh... I can't believe you made me fight a Dragon that size." Shaila protested at my harsh treatment.

"Hmph! Have you looked at your body lately? It's too flat and flabby to do any fighting, and your reflexes are just terrible! This is what happens when you don't take my mock battles seriously." I point out her lacking fitness.

"But I-I have never exercised or broken a bone before...learning Magic was always my wish, and I'm doing great at it...right?" She meekly justifies stuttering before bragging.

"Indeed. However, the weakness of those techniques are the mediums which affect light, concentration, and Mana pool, but you can't rely on your Magic arts for defense...you need agility." I explain her faulty reason.

"Wuh... I just...wanted to live like this a little longer... I'm enjoying my time with the weirdest pet in the world..." The girl revealed looking up at the sky.

"I get it... I mean, even magical beasts like my siblings have no particular goals beyond their immediate survival, and Sister with good Magic talent tends to rely on her brothers to have an easier time, but you can't grow complacent in peaceful times." I admonished before continuing the pace south.

"Well, Raiga probably felt vulnerable after you left the nest, and learned to rely on her other brother.... I see... I'm being pampered by everyone, and it's holding me back like your sister..." Shaila spoke in realization.

"That's right," I affirmed nodding. "But don't worry, I just used the stick, and I'll be the carrot!" I declared the method to change her habits.

"I'm being trained like an animal!?" She protested.

"Do you want to play Fetch the stick?" I teased briefly looking back with a smirk.

"Guh... It certainly would feel demeaning being a tamed Wolf..." The girl said with recognition.

"Haha... Anyway, as a reward for your first real fight, we'll do what you want after getting better." I present the choices.

"Free reigns sounds nice. But...do I have to go through this again?" She inquired unsurely.

"Fighting magical beasts bigger than you? Yes--yes you will. And the creatures we associate with might challenge you..." I declared thinking of making a beast clan.

"I understand. I'll try my best fighting you next time." Shaila decided to be serious. "It's also better to rest in bed right after getting hurt than being in this condition until we get home..." She announced the benefit of fighting at the estate.

"Yeah, I'll have to drop you off, then come back to my siblings since all kinds of wolves have been wandering further south as of late, and it's a matter of time before strong ones find our Lair." I elaborate the affairs.

"All kinds? Have you seen any light wolf?" The light magician asked with expectations.

"Not yet. They seem to be nonexistent in these parts when I even encountered a purple wolf, and those are supposed to be the rare ones, but then again, this is a black wolf tribe." I answer her inquiry.

"You found a High-talent purple wolf!!? Where is it now?" Shaila asked surprised.

"Oh, he picked a fight with me, and was quite nimble using lightning on the muscles for acceleration, but the movements became predictable after annoying me for a while, so I opened my mouth during Blink..." I narrate the wolf's fate.

I'm still testing that short camouflage, but sadly, the duration isn't compared to Shaila because of my size, and elemental restrictions. I review my light technique.

"Yeah, talented lightning users can alter the body senses as you do. But...it ran into your mouth didn't he?" Shaila said sarcastically.

"Yep. He got cocky of his superior speed despite being only mid-Rank 4." I scoffed at the unfortunate wolf.

"What a waste... They are quite expensive in the capital since the fluffy purple fur makes them ideal indoor pets for nobles, and their magic abilities for other things..." She elaborates the reasons.

Hmm... I can think of pleasure, and torture by stimulating receptors, but perhaps only decent Ranks with High talent could do it correctly. I affirm the uses of lightning on the body.

"Wait...how valuable are we talking about?" I stopped before asking.

"I wanted one before...but they can go as high as Dragons in auctions," Shaila replied hiding her motives.

"...Hold on a second, let me take a look at that tree over there." I leave the road to approach a tree.

*Thud! Thud...* I bashed my head on the tree trunk while sending splinters flying until it was painful.

"Ow...it hurt when you lost focus... Did you have to do that?" The passenger on my back protested.

"Yes, it was necessary, to remember," I announced looking down. "Sighs... Just how many mana crystals did my eating habits waste?" I commented with mockery.

"Ugh, sorry. You didn't get to Rank 6 because of me..." Shaila admits taking my resources.

"Nah, those things have an expiration date, and I had trouble constantly refiling the elementals, especially the water ones without rain. Perhaps I would have reached higher in ranks with a single affinity like Lightning which is faster to collect Elementals for some reason, but having multiple choices is not something to regret." I denied.

"Funny how Lightning is considered the second hardest affinity after Light, yet you make it sound easier than water magic..." Shaila muttered.

"Yeah... Progressing these ranks comes naturally as if sensations from the past life in this world, remained after the new guardian took my memories, but I'm not sure what Rank I could have achieved, or how far will these feelings guide me." I elaborate.

"Hey, Nefi," Shaila calls my attention. "I wondered why no one is searching for you when helpers like me could have posted an active request at guilds in the English language, or hire a group to investigate weird dragons. I doubt you didn't have companions in a past life, and your death shouldn't be something like tripping down stairs..." She announced her deduction.

"Sighs... Indeed." I nodded approving the conjecture to have been betrayed. "Although it's possible that it happened a long time ago or allies died, there are no signs of anyone seeking me, and the new Guardian guiding towards a trustworthy ally from past lives confirms my obsession with trust," I admit the cause for the loyal soldier.

"Ufufu... You are lucky to have me!" The girl gloated.

"Mm-hmm... However, knowing how Ranking is related to mana sources which are monopolized by high ranks, divines, and demigods, it's highly possible that I bargained with earth's knowledge to access the Veins..." I explain the risky option.

Perhaps mana veins are more dangerous than I initially thought considering Divines don't actively pursue a spot near them, or maybe they merely trade with other resources like Earth magician producing metals for equipment. I think of acquisition alternatives.

"And they used you, got what they wanted, and killed you to keep the knowledge for themselves, or to avoid retaliation?" She asserted.

"Yes..." I answered with my head lowered and eyes closed.

"Well, it's a shame you died because betrayals like those tell us who we truly can trust...just like those noble families turned their back on us for a few coins that we could have easily returned back then," Shaila spoke from experience while stroking my wing.

"Yeah, you are right, but I can't let that stop me from seeking allies, and business partners," I said thinking of future resources.

The divine Goldias appears to be the source of this kingdom since the crystals would devalue by ordinary means of transportation due to mana leaks which might be possible to stop with his magic, but is it from a vein or trade? Although Faust said this divine isn't so bad, greed is not to be underestimated, and I could still benefit with minimum risks depending on my approach. I ponder on the crystal origins before asking.

"Hey Shy, how does one get their claws on the divine Goldias? Any places he frequents?" I inquire for possible encounters.

"Uh... He's seen flying in the sky around the capital where the Royal descendants live, or by his private mountain to the south." Shaila informed the locations of interest.

"Of course, he can fly..." I scoffed at the ridiculous thing.

"Uh-huh... The Divines's Willpower influences the world which allows them to fly, defend, and attack without magic arts, but it has restrictions..." She revealed.

That sounds like telekinesis, and the limitations are probably based on Rank like everything else, but it seems to be an effect of soul materialization since the magic of my rank can barely move a paper. I analyzed wondering the flight restrictions.

"Say, how high can they fly?" I inquired the knowledgeable girl.

"Oh, higher than dragons, and even enter the void, but no Divine was heard from again after venturing in the vacuum of space, trying to reach the other worlds discovered by Tinkers using telescopes." She replied.

Too bad there isn't a moon closeby to visit, and this world will never know moon-related songs or romantic times at night...I wonder if someone blew up the moon... But if divines who just need energy, and don't even require a body can still die in outer space, then the Mana is insufficient to sustain their soul manifestation. In that case, could it be Mana is related to gravity? I deliberate on large-scale mana distribution.

"Do you think that Mana decreasing with altitude is why there's hardly any in space?" I asked wondering if it also increases with depth.

"I'm not sure...probably. All I know is that divines called it 'void' when they revealed the existence of outer space to the masses, but nobody knew why. Although that also caused panic since people thought our world was being consumed until everyone just accepted that's just how the world is." She happily elaborates.

The end-of-the-world mass hysteria crap in a fantasy world!? I scoff at the ignorance of the populace.

"In any case, it doesn't look like reaching divine Goldias will be an easy task, so perhaps the Mana is high enough in the ancient forest to the southeast to practice after rank 7." I declare plans.

"It will be more dangerous than this forest though." Shaila asserted. "Ah! Sister will buy clothes in town soon for the both of us and could get some Mana crystals depending on how much she spends... However, if I force Brother to give me a larger amount, and go with sister to control her expenditure, I could buy far more crystals at the guild, but...I find the town disgusting..." She described her scheme with reluctance to visit crowded places.

"Hmm... I avoid the town for different reasons, but we can't let that plan go to waste since you need to start conquering those fears, and not many will see you lying on my back anyway. Also, we could ask for Mip if they sell mana crystals there because the unsold product turns to dust." I accept her idea to obtain benefits from a town visit.

"Oh, they throw the crystalline dust out. So, we might get it for free along with Mana crystals," Shaila confirmed. "Although Brother will have to call a healer as soon as I get back if we want to go with Sister later." She complains about her body's uncomfortable condition.

Hmm... We could start some treatment now that she's calmed down, but it would be hard to multitask while lowering her pain, and she'll lack the concentration otherwise. I realize the unfavorable conditions to execute our experimental procedure.

"Hey, can we continue now, or are you going to mark your territory on that tree?" Shaila asked while snickering.

"Oh yeah, I have to do that too..." I replied judging the urgency.

"Erm... I was joking... But didn't you wanted to let beasts in...?" She said puzzled.

"Well, yes, but I really gotta take a leak since I forgot back at the lair." I clarify the circumstances.

"Ugh, just hurry up if you can't hold it." Shaila nagged. "Wait! You don't go wolves right?" She asked fwaring a strange posture.

"I rather not splash legs... We take turns to dig a giant hole to do our necessities." I explain our hygiene.

"Ah, right, you said before it's like going as a girl." She mocked recalling my protests when we met.

"Guh! Critical hit! I must heal the damage with happy thoughts!" I dramatized losing focus.

"Haha-- owwie... it hurts." The girl painfully laughed.

"Haha! Health restored." I mocked her reaction. "I'll just waste magic to absorb the water content," I informed before focusing on the action. "Done. Now I'm going to clean you since the fight made you dirty..." I declared directing magic towards her body.

"Y-you noticed... But I didn't leak that much!" Shaila angrily reproved.

"Uh-huh... I should feel ashamed being marked again by such a weak creature, but I was talking about washing your filthy body before we try healing some injuries." I clarify.

"Agh! I'm not some wolf in heat!" The girl protested before going silent.

Not yet anyway...her desire to become a wolf might get stronger after rank 7 depending on what she remembers. I affirmed having magic ready.

"I-I just...feared dying being exposed to danger. Hah... It's funny how childish my suicide attempts look now that my life feels meaningful again. You are probably going to think that my desire to live returned because I've been having a good time and that I'm not disappointed in my affinity anymore, but it also feels good to be needed by the perverted idiot who fixed me. You were right...it feels so good to be a light magician now as if I was made to become light itself, and I know I'll have an interesting life beside you--" Shaila meekly confessed before getting interrupted.

*Splash!* I dropped buckets of cold water over her.

"Kyaa!... Cold!" Shaila protested while squirming on my back.

*Shrriiiirriiiri...* I make tiny electrolytic cells in the water soaking her body.

"Hyaah!" She spasms from the electricity as vapor raises from her body. "You JERK! I'm trying to have a solemn moment here!" The girl angrily complained.

"Wolfie...that's too many 'feels' to explain why you leaked this time, but I'll always clean up your messes, so feel free to become anything you want in life." I firmly stated before assessing the dirt left in her clothes. "That being said, turn over to clean your back," I commanded.

"Yes... Thank you Nefi...for-for everything." She stammered and complied.

I finished cleaning, and drained all the filth from our bodies, then dried us before unweaving Magic inside her body while inspecting the injuries.

"Un... Finally, strength returns to my body... You should have done this sooner!" Shaila protested.

"Now refill your magic, and let's try doing a combined treatment," I instructed.

"Oh, okay. But only the most injured parts since Brother will hire someone experienced." She approved with conditions.

After removing the unrepairable, or defective cells, the white-haired finished replenishing her energies, and we started a combined healing process based on her teachings. Shaila stimulated cell division with specific light frequencies while I used water, and lightning to carefully speed up the cell cycle in the severely affected tissue.

"Itchy, and mentally tired." Shaila uttered scratching her body after a while.

"Yeah, me too. Although this process would be efficient if one of us knew how to produce Aura." I lament not being adept at producing lifeforce.

The cell integrity improves passively with lifeforce more so than Magic energy, but division slows down unless required with less telomere degradation which increases the Hayflick limit past the usual number of times a human cell divides. As telomere length is a significant factor for human aging, and the body automatically produces lifeforce under high concentrations of mana which increases with higher rank, and Auramancers hold, even more, the lifespan increases greatly.

"Hey Shaila, why didn't you go auramancer if Light magic was seemingly useless?" I inquired in curiosity while resuming marching to our destination.

"Well, I was advancing slowly with what I knew, and never really lost hope, but you know the hardship of accommodating just 2% of elemental rights for Light ones, so imagine changing all of it to go Auramancer which ranks up even slower! You would need medium or high talent to achieve high ranks in Aura without resources, and low ranks are just cannon fodder which is why it's not a popular profession for girls... Sister was low rank when she changed, and still took her seasons, but she's trying hard after you almost squashed her in the courtyard. Mother made the mistake of increasing water elemental rights while lowering Light that is a low talent to rank up faster, but took her time to be a normal healer again." She replied the reasons for staying a candle replacement.

Indeed... Training Spirit to passively gather certain proportions would cause imbalance after any change, and make them harder to control or simply rampage while sleeping, so it takes time to adjust the ratios safely. I relate to the downside of changing affinity while recalling a discovery.

"However, I found out that draining elementals and magic then gathering them again speeds up that process, but...still would require a surplus of magic like what Faust gave me with an elemental source to replenish them quickly," I explain my experience.

"...It all comes back to mana huh? Hmm... Oh! What about approaching the Tinkers instead? They research all kinds of fields and use the Guilds to buy or sell information and resources. Though I don't think they would allow a dragon into their labs, you could assist them in exchange for mana crystals." Shaila proposes.

A dragon wearing a lab coat would look weird anyway. I affirmed recalling Alphonse's disclosure about the Tinkers. Maybe I should start calling them thinkers instead since humans are lazy to come up with things, though there's hardly need to invent when everything revolves around ranks, a community seeking knowledge could advance society better than greedy high ranks. I contemplate the benefits of such a company.

"Ah, yes... The respectable inventors who stay out of conflicts, and let other races join their community, but never into the inner circles where the members don't leak any information. Also, nobody finds suspicious they got permission to mine Sulfur for gunpowder in a foreign country while getting away with contaminating the river, and then...suddenly stopped the operations." I voice my reasons for concern.

"Uh... You don't trust them, but... they are mostly a peaceful race." She said skeptically.

"Why would a scientific community be so organized and militarized then? It's because weapons can change the power hierarchy of this world, and the rifles they sell which use gunpowder is not enough to see it that way, but what about more dangerous weapons that Tinkers could be developing in secret?" I answered with another question.

"That serious? There are no traces of ancient civilizations having a different system though." Shaila denies the possibility.

"Magic arts are powerful, yes, but it can't store energy beyond what your rank allows, and controlling attacks with high energy output is perilous for the user. Also, running out of magic reserves would leave you vulnerable no matter how powerful you are while replenishing mana takes some time while certain elementals even longer than that. However, you can have chemical energy stored in Potassium Bombs which Lester helped me build days ago or nuclear energy from radioactive materials that Divine earth magicians should be able to produce." I explain the external means.

"So... It's a matter of time before they make nuclear weapons?" The girl asked for confirmation.

"If they haven't already... The Tinkers race, also known as dwarfs, already have many high-ranked Earth magicians capable of mass-producing things like the collars or firearms." I replied with conjecture.

"But why?" She inquired puzzled.

"Well, if it were me... I would stack Atomic bombs over the course of many years before Nuking all the Mana veins in the world occupied by Divines and Demigods, then have all the Divines of my Race settle down to peacefully advance in ranks. The radiation won't kill beings who don't even need a body, and they can extract the resources to help the entire race develop into a civilization that will effectively conquer the world." I described my perspective.

"That's terrifying... But they are not ready yet...it can't be that easy to achieve." Shaila said with an anxious voice.

"Perhaps this was already attempted with the dragon massacre hundreds of years ago, or they simply couldn't piss off different Races by taking random mana veins which would turn the whole world again them, but nobody did anything since the dragons were assholes too. No... Maybe Dragons were a stepping stone considering how many former dragon cities ended up controlled by Tinkers, and the bastards responsible are probably hiding from all the enemies made while using the Tinkers to prepare." I elaborate my hypothesis.

"Know thy enemy... You had Alphonse investigate." She said realizing.

"Indeed. Anyway, we could be wrong, but even Alphonse agreed that Tinkers might be enemies. Maybe they were the ones who killed me in the past..." I concluded the revelation.