“Speaking of which, where is Isabella? Why isn’t she with you?”
After walking for half an hour, Leah finally noticed that Winnidith seemed a bit off.
“Bella? She said she had to handle some trade business, so she headed out early this morning. As for where she actually went, I haven’t a clue.”
Winnidith shrugged.
“I’m not a child; I can’t have Bella glued to me twenty-four hours a day, right?”
“I-I suppose that’s true… Heh, heh.”
The Elf Princess, who had once caused a massive scene because Vilda had done some private errands, managed an awkward laugh.
Fortunately, the Spring of Memory was not far.
She didn’t have to suffer through the awkwardness for long before she could show off her family’s treasure.
Since she was going to show off, she naturally had to start with the most powerful and mysterious aspects.
“This spring water is actually highly concentrated Mana?!”
Leah’s momentum instantly evaporated.
She hadn’t even mentioned the most impressive and mysterious parts of the Spring of Memory yet, and Winnidith had already figured it out?!
“How did you tell?”
Leah looked over stubbornly, still indulging in fantasies.
‘Maybe she just got lucky and guessed right?
Maybe she researched it before coming?
Maybe…’
But Winnidith didn’t give her a chance to fantasize.
She blinked, and the light in her eyes faded quietly.
With an expression that was part confusion, part innocence, and part seriousness—with a hint of amusement—she spoke.
“How could I tell… isn’t it obvious?”
She pointed a finger.
“I can see it with my eyes.”
I can see it with my eyes…
Can see it with my eyes…
See it…
Eyes…
At that moment, Leah felt like she had lived her twenty-plus years in vain.
It turned out one could just see it with their eyes, without needing to bathe in the water of the Spring of Memory for twelve years and then have an ear pulled by a disappointed father to finally know.
Ah, haha, so it was that simple?
“What’s wrong with her?”
Aaron watched as Leah gradually lost her vitality, eventually turning into a gray-toned statue.
He gestured with his chin and asked curiously.
Wasn’t it just saying that the Spring of Memory was made of Mana?
Was there a need to be that surprised?
“Who knows? Maybe she’s feeling unwell because she skipped breakfast.”
Winnidith felt much better now, which allowed her to observe the Spring of Memory more closely.
From the outside, the ordinary fountain looked no different from any other, but in the eyes of a Mage who knew its true nature, it was a unique treasure in the world.
‘Can Mana be used for recording?’
Regarding the essence of magic, Winnidith had summarized it when she was very young.
‘Mana is a versatile and efficient fuel, while elements are the raw materials that make up a machine.
The essence of magic is to combine the eight elements to create a machine that can fulfill one’s wishes, and then fill that machine with fuel to start it up—that is how magic is formed.’
If what Leah said was true, then the essence of this place was like throwing a burning torch into a pile of oil, and the oil had turned into amber, preserving the torch perfectly intact.
‘How did they do it?’
Winnidith admitted she was intrigued.
Since she had mastered Elemental Vision, she had yet to encounter a problem in the path of magic where she couldn’t find even a single clue.
A desire for knowledge burned fiercely in her heart.
She scanned her surroundings.
No other Elves were wandering about.
Leah, the only one who understood magic, had been struck into a dull gray state.
Leah had said that as long as one touched the spring water, there was a chance to encounter the magic left behind by Elf Mages.
Based on her research and understanding, for items that required contact, the larger the contact area, the higher the probability.
An idea gradually formed in Winnidith’s mind.
She thought it over again, and her Spirit Perception gave no warning.
That meant there was no danger to her life on this trip.
‘It’s the perfect time to investigate!’
Winnidith took a deep breath and, under Aaron’s horrified gaze, leapt forward.
Splash!
Aaron never imagined Winnidith would choose to “end it all.”
By the time he reached the edge, Winnidith had completely disappeared into the Spring of Memory.
He moved to jump in after her, but Leah grabbed him.
“The interior of the Spring of Memory is filled with dangerous Magic Formulas. A Mage can rely on their elemental sensing to avoid them, but if someone with your combat power jumps in, those Magic Formulas will activate in a chain reaction. If that happens, Winnidith really won’t have any hope of survival.”
Leah was the one who pulled him back.
She had recovered from her stunned state the moment she heard the splash.
However, even she hadn’t expected Winnidith to act like this.
“Sigh, jumping into the Spring of Memory is indeed the best way to feel the Magic Formulas inside, but you could have at least said something!”
Leah tugged at the blonde hair by her ear and spoke helplessly to the frantic Aaron.
“It’s useless to be anxious. Step aside for this Princess, and watch me bring Winnidith back and give her a good scolding.”
Upon hearing this, Aaron immediately clung to a sliver of hope.
He didn’t care about her phrasing and immediately stood up to give the spot by the spring to Leah.
Phew…
Looking at her reflection in the spring, Leah let out a slow breath.
Previously, when using the spring water, she always had her subordinates collect it and bring it to her chambers.
After all, as a dignified Elf Princess, she couldn’t possibly strip and bathe in public.
Thus, she wasn’t entirely sure what would happen after jumping into the Spring of Memory.
‘It’s fine, just treat it like taking a bath. Winnidith, this Princess is risking unknown dangers and social death to save you. You’d better praise me properly once you’re out!’
Leah grit her teeth and, under Aaron’s nervous gaze, placed her hand on the spring water.
It was hard.
“Huh?”
Leah froze, then stubbornly pressed down again.
It was still hard.
This time, she was completely bewildered.
Aaron was also confused by her actions, but the current situation didn’t allow for slow thinking.
“Princess… Leah, what’s happening now? Is the lady in danger?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Leah’s voice trembled.
This time, it wasn’t just her outlook on life that collapsed—her understanding of magic had also shattered.
‘How can Mana solidify?!’
***
At the same moment Winnidith jumped, the Elven Holy Tree suddenly began shaking its branches like crazy.
Faintly, one could hear strange sounds—like the sobbing of an infant or the roar of an old man.
Crack, crack, crack!
The ground split with incredible speed.
Within a few breaths, a massive abyss was torn into the earth, and it even showed signs of expanding further.
However, as a palm was placed against the trunk of the Sacred Tree, the terrifying commotion gradually subsided.
The infant’s crying turned into laughter, the old man’s roar became joyful chatter, and even the faint, decadent sounds of new lovers reached Alvain’s ears.
It was a bit noisy.
Alvain increased the output of his Douqi and Mana.
His divine body began to age rapidly, only to quickly restore its youth under the influence of the dense Wood Element in the surroundings, before aging again.
After dozens of cycles, the Sacred Tree finally quieted down, and the cracked earth began to heal.
Pop.
Alvain moved his hand away from the Sacred Tree’s trunk.
His body swayed several times before he finally stabilized.
He looked at his palm; the finger bones had completely vanished, and even the metacarpals were half-corroded.
But under the guidance of the Wood Element, they began to regrow.
By the time his hand had fully reformed, he had also returned to his handsome appearance.
He looked at the now-settled Sacred Tree, a smile suddenly appearing on his lips.
“It seems she has entered the Spring of Memory. Good, it saves me from having to find a way to push her in myself. As it turns out, letting that child Leah make contact with her was a good thing from the start.”
Whenever Alvain thought about how his daughter would soon believe she had caused a huge disaster and come rushing to him for help in a panic, the corners of his mouth would curl up uncontrollably.
But when he saw the Holy Fruit on the Sacred Tree becoming increasingly plump and enticing, the expression on his face suddenly froze, turning into a long silence.
“I hope you can find your true power within the Spring of Memory,” Alvain let out a long sigh.
“This world simply cannot wait for another Otherworlder.”