Flying above the forest on a flat plate of earth, we traveled through the sky at a fast pace. Ahead lay the kingdom of Qweldom, slowly drawing nearer. The sage controlling our flight began to waver, his hands trembling. He was reaching his limits, the previous fight having taken a toll on his body.

We were about to inside the kingdom.

"WATCH OUT!!" screamed one of the bystanders.

As we crashed, we destroyed a small store.

People panicked, some screamed, while others remained collected, trying to assess the situation. As the dust settled, revealing two figures, the murmur of the crowd grew. There lay one of the 8 great sages, wounded, with a child beside him. Knights and soldiers, alerted by the crash, arrived at the scene, all armed and ready for a fight.

A Holy knight rushed to their side. "Take the kid!" he ordered one of the soldiers, who quickly obeyed, lifting the child while he carefully picked up the sage, carrying him behind his back.

His face was covered in worry, fearing for the sage's life. The sage was severely wounded, missing a leg and breathing with difficulty. They hurried to the healer tower, placing the two on medical beds.

"Make space!! Let the professionals work!!" the knight screamed at his men as the healers quickly attended to the sage in his dire state. After a quick scan to ensure there was no poison or foreign substance in his body, they sighed in relief and began their chant, stretching their hands over the unconscious sage. "Heal," they intoned.

Three hours later, the room below was noisy with the cries and screams of other patients in pain. It was a normal occurrence at the healer tower. The sage's eyes slowly opened. He lifted his entire body, feeling no pain nor any wounds. Everything was healed, except his left leg, which was missing.

He thought he could still feel it, moving his toes as if they were still there. He touched his severed leg, feeling no sensation. It was just his brain playing tricks on him. He finally understood what soldiers meant when they said they could still feel their limbs despite them not being there.

Using magic, he made a prosthetic leg out of wood, testing it out by standing up and moving around. He chuckled a bit, imagining himself as a certain pirate. The room was small and bare, just him in it. The door creaked open, and a soldier, shocked to see the sage standing with a smile, entered.

"Hey, you," the sage called.

The soldier quickly replied, "Yes?" respectfully.

"Where's the kid?"

The soldier accompanied the sage to where the child was.

"How is she?" the sage asked.

The soldier answered, "They said she's fine. She has a few broken bones in her knuckle and sore muscles. That's just it.. the girl is not in a life-threatening situation."

Looking at her sleeping face, he recalled how he first saw her—her entire body covered in pure dense mana, and it was an unbelievable quantity. He wondered who she was, what her identity could be. All he knew was that she was presented in an altar, so he thought. Maybe she's a sacrifice or something. At the same time, he had felt the strong surge of mana from her that disrupted all the magic circuits within the dungeon. It was hard to believe, as not even he could do that.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"She can leave the tower, right?" he asked the soldier.

"I... I don't know. Sorry."

"It's okay. Can you get the doctor for me?"

"Yes, sir. I'll also inform Sir Havri of your awakening."

"Please do"

A few moments later, a doctor and Sir Havri entered.

"Sir Sage, you're okay!" Havri said in delight. He was the man who had carried the sage to the healer tower. A holy knight and a member of the enchanted blades of the kingdom, he held the third seat, one of the great powers of the kingdom.

"Kid, of course, I'm fine, who do you think i am" the sage responded. Then, in a serious tone, he continued, "Doc, can i take thie kid?"

Confused, he asked, "Why? And who is this kid?"

The sage replied, "This is a private matter."

The doctor, puzzled but determined, pressed on, "I'm sorry for intruding on whatever matter this is, but as a doctor, I can't just let anyone—even a great sage—take my patients without a proper reason. At least give me a hint, and I'll drop it."

Seeing the resolve in the doctor's eyes, the sage sighed. That burning passion was what made the doctor one of the best in the country. Though the sage hadn't expected to find him here, he couldn't deny the man's dedication.

"Let's just say this kid was rescued from the Guardian Organization," the sage revealed.

At the mention of the Guardian Organization, the doctor's eyes widened in shock. His concern for the child grew even deeper.

"She's special," the sage continued. "She could change the future of this country... or worse." He spoke from experience, having witnessed the child illuminate with mana. He feared she might be part of some experiment or a key to something more sinister. Her ability to gather mana throughout her body was terrifying, far surpassing his own capabilities, which had taken him nineteen years to master. The density of her mana was comparable to that of an awakening dragon.

Nodding in understanding, the doctor agreed. "Fine." He didn't know what the child could do, but if a great sage vouched for her, he had to believe it. Clicking something behind his back, he revealed a necklace with a beautiful orange stone embedded in it.

"Cautious as always," the sage remarked.

The necklace was a lie-seeking stone. It pulsed red or vibrated at the slightest hint of a lie. Its workings were unknown, but it was invaluable for its truth-detecting abilities. Crimes were easily resolved with its help, though only a handful could afford it.

"It might take a while or until tomorrow for her to wake up," the doctor said. "Those muscle sores are from exertion. She probably did something strenuous to rip some of her muscles."

The soldier accompanying the sage was shocked. "But you said—"

"I forgot to mention it," the doctor interjected.

Havri, who had been silently listening, broke the chain of conversation. "We already informed the king of your situation. He told me to give you this after you woke up." He hands the scroll to him.

"No peeking, private message," the sage said causing the others to step back.

Sliding the scroll open, the sage read its contents. "There are strange sightings of people wandering in unusual patterns. Be careful outside. I'll explain more when you arrive." At the end was a discreet CLV-8, written in invisible magic that blended with the paper, visible only when infused with mana.

"That fast?" the sage muttered, scratching his head before burning the paper with magic.

"Patrol the area and tell me if there are any strange people around," he ordered Havri. "You don't need to know how strange, just make it look like you're looking for someone. I need a diversion."

"Yes, sir," Havri saluted, then called to the soldiers, "Soldiers, come!" as he headed down the tower.

"What's the matter?" the doctor asked.

"Private matter," the sage replied. "Don't worry. It's not like I'm doing something bad."

With that, he lifted the girl, wrapping her in a cloth and positioning her on his back. He then changed their appearances, making himself look much younger and the girl appear as a freckled village child.

"Be careful, doc."

"I should be the one saying that," the doctor retorted.

The sage jumped from the tower, controlling the wind to slow their descent. Landing safely and quietly, he moved swiftly towards a more crowded area, blending in with the bustling throngs of people.