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Valessandria licked the crystal, the world inside her mind shaking upon her tongue touching the crystalized mana and finding that it had shrunk dramatically compared to when she had first begun sucking on it. Her body trembled, sweat poured down her face, even with the day starting to cool.
"Everything is an illusion. My mind is the world. The flow of mana reveals all." She desperately clung to the words like they were some blanket she'd hold in her arms as she slept, scared that the monsters would return.
Even with the mana crystal and her mental state, employing sensory magic was a struggle. It didn't help that she hadn't had a chance to rest. Using such magic was already tricky when one was fully rested, so trying to keep an eye out all around her and the group was taxing her mind. The only thing allowing her to merge with the current of mana that allowed her to spread out her consciousness was the combination of her chanting and the crystal rapidly dissolving in her mouth.
So far, there had been no signs of monsters and a lack of any forests for them to stop.
"There is about an hour before the sun sets," William reported, just like he had been to allow her to know how much time had passed. He paused for a bit. "What do you want us to do?" His voice was low to not rip her from her mental state.
Clenching her teeth, Valessandria didn't trust her ability to maintain the mental world. Carefully, she used one hand and pointed forward, using a standard hand signal they trained students to use when oral communication wasn't ideal. Even with the slight hand movement, she clenched her teeth harder as cracks started to form but were soon healed as she regained her mental concentration.
As the last of the crystal dissolved, she let out a trembling breath and slowly withdrew her consciousness from around them. Compared to when she first began spreading herself into the surrounding terrain, the task of bringing everything back into her mind was as easy as floating along a calm river.
The world slowly came back into focus, though her surroundings were slightly blurry. With one hand, she held her head, trembling from the hours spent in the mental world, a task she hadn't needed to perform for years. Valessandria breathed in the air that felt alive compared to when she used sensory magic -- dulled to help her conserve the precious mana inside her and the crystal. Lifting her visor, she could now see how her hands shook like they did the first time she entered a battlefield. It felt like everything had been drained from her body, and even staying on the horse pushed her past her limits.
"My Lady," William gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Valessandria jerked as she reached for her sword, her eyes wide in alarm. It was only at the last moment that she recognized her Second.
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William's brows raised with concern, clearly understanding what she was experiencing.
"Sorry, William," Valessandria attempted to smile as her face poured with cold sweat as though she had been woken from a nightmare. Her heart beat fast as adrenaline pumped throughout her body.
"Were you..."
Valessandria shook her head. Taking in a shuddering breath, still feeling like an animal ready to bolt upon detecting a predator, "I could not see too far around us. Not even a quarter of a mile." She grimaced.
Raising her head to locate the sun, she could see that it wouldn't be long until the sun finally set, and they'd be dipped into darkness.
Returning her attention to William, "I could not even see the scouts we had sent out."
Her Second was silent, understanding the implications.
Even if they hadn't found anything to report back to them, it was still expected that they'd have returned at least once. The fact that the scouts hadn't returned had a chill run down her back.
"I want everyone prepared to engage once the sun goes down," Valessandria ordered.
"As you command," William saluted. Before turning his horse, "Mana crystals?"
Without even taking a moment to consider, she shook her head. "Unless it gets to that point, I do not want people using those things. I would rather risk my own safety."
William nodded before directing his horse and making his way back.
Thinking about what lay ahead, her hands trembled as she touched the bag on her waist. Even though it wasn't possible to feel the mana inside them, she couldn't help but imagine the alluring charge of energy fluttering against her fingertips.
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Klaus guided his horse forward, his mind focused on trying to spot any threats to his fellow group members and the Lady Knight behind him. His eyes scanned the tall grass, desperate to find any signs of a forest for them to camp the night. Making sure to stay moving and not stay still for too long, he also kept an eye out for any signs of movement.
He couldn't help but remember the class he had taken the prior year, explaining the types of monsters that could be found in the nearby area. And the one he didn't look forward to encountering was what typically used the grasslands as a home. He shivered slightly, remembering the image of the long monster moving quickly in the terrain's cover in the book. Even worse was how they were just as clever as bandits.
Looking up at the sky, he frowned, knowing it was far past when he should've returned and reported what he had seen. But he also knew that everyone was hoping for rest, and he and the other scouts were the only ones that could offer such an opportunity.
"I'll just stay out for another hour. If I head back now, I'll have to waste time returning to this point."
Klaus checked to make sure that he had the road still in sight. The last thing he needed to do was to get lost. Fortunately, the sun was a good reference point to help guide him back to the road. In the grasslands, there weren't many places that indicated civilization. The roads were the only reason people risked entering such treacherous terrains.
Having given himself enough time to regain his strength, he focused and guided the mana inside his body toward his eyes and ears -- using sensory magic to help enhance his vision and hearing. It was nothing compared to what the older students at the Academy could perform, where they created a sphere around them to detect any movement, but it was enough for him. His vision strengthened, and he could immediately spot where the grass parted in a straight line.
Sensing the mana slowly being pulled from his body, he slowly scanned the surroundings to see if he could spot any trees.