The cruise ship docked at the pier of Goreth Island. Allen stepped off first, his arms full of documents and analysis reports, while Epherene followed, struggling under the weight of a large magitech device strapped to her back.1

“Ughhh… arghhh…” Epherene groaned, grumbling as she struggled under the weight of the machine, which easily weighed dozens of kilograms.0

She silently cursed her fate for having to carry it herself, but there was no avoiding it—mana-sensitive devices couldn’t be moved with magic.1

“I heard another team has already arrived,” Ihelm muttered, plucking a leaf from a nearby tree and twirling it as he glanced at Epherene. “Hey, Leaf, how long have you been here?”0

"... Stop talking to me. I’m barely managing here," Epherene snapped.0

Ihelm nodded, casually chewing the leaf. Then, he plucked another and handed it to his protégé.0

Epherene frowned at him and muttered, “Why is he even chewing on that?”1

“Hmm, don’t you know? Trees are excellent at purifying mana. Once they absorb enough, they become mana trees. Depending on the type, chewing their leaves can clear your mind. But usually, they’re cut down for staff or weapons before they can fully mature…”0

Ihelm then pointed to Deculein’s staff and said, “That staff is crafted from mana wood. It’s rare, so make sure to choose a good one before we leave. You won’t be able to cast spells with just your bare hands forever, will you?”0

Upon hearing that, Epherene briefly pictured herself holding an elegant staff, skillfully casting and weaving spells with ease.0

“Hmm…”0

It didn’t seem so bad as she imagined how she might look.0

Ihelm smirked, letting out a soft chuckle as he remarked, “Pfft, such a simpleton.”0

“What did you say?”0

After walking for some...0