Jin watched as the jellyfish sealed all four of them inside itself and slowly floated away, past the muscular woman. The boy and his friends wanted to push against the body of the creature and fight back, but they couldn't move an inch. The magic flowing through the conjured animal was countless times thicker than the air outside. As if they got sealed in cement, yet with nothing restricting their breathing.

Cia opened her mouth and wanted to yell something at the summoner, but found herself unable to make a single noise.

The woman peeled off yet another tattoo. It dropped to the ground at her feet and the magic in it spilled into a wide puddle. Soon after, wolves began climbing out of it. There were five of them, each sporting a slightly different fur in various colours of the rainbow. At her command, the hounds charged at the bugs, tearing them to pieces. The kids watched as some of the monsters managed to injure one of the dogs from time to time, but all their wounds showed was blue magic flowing inside them, which quickly reverted most injuries.

As Jin got far away from the sword, it got teleported to his side into the giant jellyfish. He desperately tried to reach it, but could not stretch far enough.

"Stop it, we wouldn't stand a chance anyway," the sword spoke. His lack of a mouth allowed his voice to flow even in an environment with such a dense magical field. "She's not an enemy, otherwise we'd already be in a far worse situation. Judging by the cargo pants, I'd say she's a miner. Let's just see where the situation goes from here."

His words offered little comfort, but at least he spoke the truth. There was nothing they could do. Even if they managed to escape somehow, she would just capture them again. There was no point in running.

The jellyfish floated through the darkness of the mines for a couple of minutes. The four teenagers trapped inside had grown quite accustomed to the environment. In a sense, the creature offered a place of comfort. The magic it was made of was soft, so it was like being carried around in the world's largest sleeping bag. Soon after, the woman caught up to them. The previously-removed tattoos were back on her arms, with a single blank space still left. She didn't say a word and only followed her familiar along the walkway until something finally appeared ahead of them.

One of the light clusters they could see along the walls of the mines was now right in front of them. Up close, it looked much bigger. It was a decently sized house, yet its looks left much to be desired. A wooden shack would be a much better name, were it not for the slightly smaller second floor that at least made it seem like a decent abode.

"Stop! That will be all Fogie, you can go back," she commanded and the jellyfish dispersed, splashing the kids with buckets of magic, which, despite feeling like a liquid, did not leave behind a single wet spot.

"Now, raise your hands if you're injured or anything hurts," the wizard spoke once more.

Cia and Kaili both reluctantly raised their arms. Although they had little trust for the lady, she did just save them, so her question was most likely an indicator of potential medical attention.

"Alright. I'll go for the supplies. Get inside, sit down in the living room, and don't touch anything. Got that?" They all silently nodded and picked themselves up from the ground.

The hut felt even smaller on the inside. A short hallway welcomed them as soon as they entered. It was way warmer on the inside. So much so that it reminded them of the feeling of resting at a fireplace after coming back from a long day out in the winter's cold. The kids all put their shoes, coats and hats onto the respective shelves and a hanging rack. The place looked so clean and organized that they didn't dare cause even the slightest disarray. Kaili let out a sorrowful sigh as she took a proper look at her destroyed mushroom hat. It was a great shame. Fungi like this one didn't grow near her home anymore.

A narrow staircase led up to the second floor, but neither of them had the guts to go investigating. Instead, they only peeked into the two rooms on each side of the hallway. A semi-closed door was hiding a spotless bedroom. Without saying a word, they all decided to leave that place alone. A wizard was the last person whose privacy they'd want to invade, let alone one looking as terrifying as the lady. The other room did not have a door and its contents corresponded to what most people would label as a living room. There was a beautiful soft carpet on the floor and two armchairs, each on the side of a small wooden table. The striped pattern of the jade and white wallpaper was often interrupted by pictures of people or sunny landscapes.

"Okay, so, dryad, imp, with me. You boys stay here and don't you dare make a mess. We'll be right back."

The two halves of the group exchanged glances filled with worries as the girls followed the wizard into the bedroom. As soon as the door closed and silence enveloped them, Jin's eyes slid onto the floor next to him, where he saw Rudy, still bound by Manuel's magic to always be nearby.

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"Don't even think about it," the demon said when the young farmer reached out for him.

"I'd rather be armed," he whispered.

"You stand no chance against her. Don't provoke her! Even with all my power I wouldn't be able to do much against someone like that."

"Is she really that strong?" Airo muttered.

"She's a summoner. Not only that, but her familiars seem to act independently without her direct control. To create a form of artificial intelligence out of magic is something that takes years of practice and dedication. Assuming that all those tattoos are magical creatures, then she has amassed quite the army. We wouldn't last a second."

"So what do you suggest?" Jin asked, having run out of ideas.

"We sit tight and wait. She will want to talk. Maybe ask some questions. Then we'll explain we're here just with the package and hopefully, she'll help us out."

"And if not?" Airo couldn't help but express his worries.

"Then you better hope Manuel will come looking for us."

The door to the bedroom opened a few moments later, prompting the boys to jump out of the armchairs. Relief warmed their hearts as they saw Kaili enter the room.

"So?" Jin asked.

"Nothing. She seems nice. Gave me something to help with the acid burns," she explained and showed off the two patches of gauze on her shoulder and the top of her foot. "She's not an evil person, so calm down!" It seemed that the fear that was previously radiating from the young dryad had all but disappeared.

The door creaked once more as the tiny imp joined her friends in the living room. Their concerns spiked up when they saw the white sling supporting her arm, held in place by bandages and two wooden sticks.

"Are you okay?" Airo asked.

"That goddamn bug sprained my arm! Bastard!" she growled, more annoyed than anything else. "But that's really on me though. Guess the shield would work better as a deployable device. But then it would lack the stability. Hmm... Maybe an anchor system? No, that would be too bulky. Or maybe it could have a propeller! A hovering device that could easily hide behind the barrier it would be projecting!"

The remaining trio smiled as they saw her ramble on. Seemed like she was in good spirits, unbothered by any pain her injury might cause her.

"So, now that this is done, I think you owe me some explanations," the wizard said as she joined the group. "What on earth are a bunch of kids doing here?"

"We're from Manuel's Arcane Deliveries service," Jin quickly explained and pointed to the package strapped onto a backpack harness.

"You? Manuel sent you?" she asked, her eyes widening and voice reaching alarming heights.

"Yeah?" Kaili shrugged.

"That bastard!" she barked. "I'm gonna tear him open!"

"Umm... sorry if we intruded," Airo squeaked and received her stern gaze shortly after.

"That's not the point! He sent a bunch of kids to do this job? Into a mine? You guys look like you can barely walk in a magic this dense! And what, he gave you this for protection?" She picked the sword off the ground and looked Rudy dead in the eye. "What are you? Some sort of a fairy?"

"A demon."

"Yuck!" she replied and put the weapon down before wiping her hand into her cargo pants as if the hilt was covered with soot. "Seriously, that prick is irresponsible! You could've gotten hurt! Some of you even did! Take your package and go back to where you came from. And tell Manuel to send some proper couriers."

"But we are proper couriers," Cia argued. "We already delivered loads of packages."

"And this one nearly got you killed. I will not deal with the guilt of simply allowing this to happen. Find a safer apprenticeship!"

"You don't understand. This is the closest people like us can get to becoming wizards," Jin explained.

She stood there, eyeing him up from head to toe, up and down, before she finally came to a conclusion. "He's such an idiot," she growled once more. "So, show me, what can you do?"

"Umm..." Jin took a step towards the blade but she quickly blocked his way.

"Without the weapon! What? You tell me you can only do magic when someone else does it for you? Let alone a demon?"

"I... I guess I don't have the talent for it?" Jin shrugged. "I can't feel magic."

"What sort of nonsense is that?" she barked. "When you entered the mines, did you feel the weight of the air? The way everything felt like pushing through a syrup? The shortness of breath?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"And when you were inside my familiar, did you feel the heavy magic around you?"

"Kinda. It did feel like I was frozen in place."

"But it was also pretty soft," Kaili added and Jin agreed.

"Then congratulations, you can feel magic."

"Wait, really?"

"Of course! Everyone can feel it! Maybe you just don't feel the weaker currents, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to feel it at all!" She rested her palm over her eyes for a moment, before turning her sight towards the ceiling. "Manuel, you prick!"

"You really don't like him, huh?" Rudy spoke up.

"Of course I don't. I know exactly what he's on about!"

"Care to explain?" Airo asked.

"The bastard can't teach a fish to swim! He's a bloody natural genius. You know, those one-of-a-kind special people who just excel at everything. He sent you here because this place is literally full of magic and because I'm here. He's hoping I'll teach you!"

"And..." Jin started.

"No! Absolutely not! I have to protect this mine from attacks. It's my job to make sure not a single bug can get past this checkpoint. Can't take care of four kids on top of that!"

"Then you don't have to. We just have to deliver the package and then we'll leave you be," Kaili tried to calm her down.

"Nu-uh. Do you have any idea how deep this place goes? The aura gets thicker the deeper you get. You won't be able to pass through it without some protective enchantment. And that would take weeks to learn." She sat down and let out a loud groan. "Ugh! Just take a moment to rest, okay? If you want some food, I have bread in the kitchen and the pipes are filled with fresh water if you're thirsty. Then, once you're ready, just go back to where you came from. I'll go send my familiars to guard the caves so you won't get attacked. And tell Manuel that Elsie sends her regards and a massive middle finger." She stood up and headed outside, leaving the four to their own devices. Jin's eyes glanced over the demonic blade. There was still one other way.