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.\' Apparently, a renowned mage and researcher named Oshileaus Darven posited that the world had a threshold for the amount of mana it could sustain at any given time, how much he didn\'t mention. When this threshold was exceeded, more dungeons and natural disasters emerged as a mechanism to reduce the number of mana-bearing entities, thereby restoring balance. It was, according to Darven, nature\'s way of healing. And the reason why the past civilizations had almost wiped clean from the face of this world without leaving any noticeable signs of their lifestyle.

Of course, there were many flaws in the theory. For instance, dungeons themselves were immense sources of mana, and natural disasters had scientific explanations. Even on Earth, where mana users were nonexistent, natural disasters occurred regularly. But Damian wasn\'t reading the book for its accuracy. Besides being an interesting way to pass the time, it delved deeply into the nature of mana itself. Many researchers and mages had followed behind him with their life\'s work after getting inspiration from this—man or woman, no one knew anything about Oshileaus Darven beyond the name.

Toph slept peacefully beside him, his slightly glowing belly rising and falling with each breath. The two mana signatures that had been shadowing them maintained their distance and never approached, not even to observe more closely. One of them even dimmed their mana presence, which likely indicated one of them being asleep. Perhaps Damian was overreacting, and they were simply spies sent by some lord to monitor the princess\'s movements. But such a task didn\'t require second-rankers. Only a handful of people could hire individuals on such a level that had such brilliant scouting methods and speed.

The night passed without incident, and early morning arrived. One by one, his companions woke and prepared to board their hired sailing vessel. The captain was a reputable figure, and their passage had been secured in advance through letters. Thankfully, this time, they each had their own cabin—it was already a much better journey compared to Damian and Sam\'s cramped cohabitation on the journey from Faerunia to Pyron.

Yawning, Damian gazed at the medium-sized merchant ship with its three tall masts.

"What\'s with you? Come on, look alive! I know you\'ve grown lazy hiding in that hole of yours, but it\'s bad for your health. You gotta exercise sometimes, Maximus," Sam bellowed in his annoyingly overactive way, Toph trumpeting in agreement.

Damian suppressed the urge to throw him in the water and settled with just a glare.

"Let\'s go," the princess commanded, drawing their attention as she moved ahead.

Sam and Einar immediately flanked her. It was always amusing seeing them doing their job so seriously. From what he had heard, they had saved the princess many times, not always from life threatening problems, but many were close enough. They even had quite a following in the noble youth circle for being so close to their princess, and of course there was their ever present halo of being probably the youngest ever in history to achieve Enlightened rank. Over the years, they\'d received countless marriage proposals, to the point where the royal family had to intervene, making it clear—at Sam and Einar\'s request—that they had no intentions of settling down anytime soon.

Damian followed the trio, but his attention was focused on the two knights trailing behind him. They had finally shown themselves.Their full plate armor was not unusual for mercenaries or knights, but theirs stood out—a unique alloy blend of exceptional quality. It was clear they weren\'t local. Judging by the mana-infused swords at their hips, Damian pegged them as spellswords.

They had been following him since his arrival in town. After seeing them another possibility occurred to him: he had dismissed the idea of being important enough to draw such personal attention, but perhaps he had underestimated the Highsword\'s interest in him. These knights might be from the academy—or maybe, actual members of the Highswords organization.

Regardless, they were also boarding the ship. There wouldn\'t be much room to evade him at sea. Damian decided to remain discreet for now. Confronting them on the open ocean would be wiser. Most likely they were ready for such a confrontation too.

As he stepped aboard, the salty breeze tugged at his coat, and the waves lapped against the hull. The gangplank swayed under his boots, its wood creaking softly. On deck, sailors bustled about—shouting orders, rolling barrels, and tightening ropes. The towering masts loomed above, their sails fluttering in the wind.

A sailor directed them below deck, where the air turned cooler and carried the scent of wood and sea. Ducking slightly under the low beams, Damian followed the narrow corridor lit by flickering lanterns. Reaching his cabin—next to Sam\'s and across from Evrin and Einar\'s—he opened the door to find a small but tidy room. The rhythmic creaking of the ship and the distant sound of waves greeted him.

Inside, the cabin was modest but comfortable. Smooth wooden walls showed the ship\'s craftsmanship. A sturdy bed with a wool mattress and folded blankets sat in one corner, alongside a small chest for belongings. A plain desk, fixed to the wall, was accompanied by a lantern for writing. The air smelled of wood, salt, and a faint hint of tar, making the space feel both simple and welcoming.

It was a decent cabin, though they had paid a good price for it—Of course, it was nothing to the loaded elves. Damian settled in, watching as Toph explored the room excitedly. The gentle swaying of the ship under Toph\'s four feet seemed like a novelty to him. Each noticeable sway brought a surprised reaction from him that made Damian chuckle.

Damian wanted to sleep a little, not that he was tired but it was just a habit of his to sleep for fixed hours every night. He had noticed his mind working better after he was refreshed in the morning, and ever since that day, when it wasn\'t necessary for him to pull an all-nighter, he preferred sleeping peacefully, with Toph curled up beside him.

However his job was not done yet.