“Here we are!” Ashley said cheerfully as she steered the three-wheeled golem to a stop behind several other dormant golems. She pointed to a well-worn trail that threaded through the woods. “That’s where we’ll go to get to the reservoir.”
Aida and Dev swung themselves out of the golem, heading down the path Ashley pointed out to them. Aida glanced around the woods.
The tree trunks were slimmer than the trees at Maglica, but there was still a lot of foliage. The road from the village to the forest had been a long, winding, but well-established route, carving a distinct path through the grasses that had surrounded the village. As they had driven away from civilization, Aida could understand why they didn’t necessarily require any guards or patrols for the village: they could see any predator approach from the existing watch towers, and most creatures were significantly smaller than the monsters who made their homes in the woods. Their biggest concern really is just surviving the typhoons.
The trees opened up in front of them, displaying a massive dam that looked like it spanned several miles. Along the tops of the stone walls were several people fishing, it looked like, their bodies dotting the wall at regular intervals.
“People fish here as well?” Aida inquired.
“This is where they come to collect freshwater fish,” Ashley explained. “Since the ocean is more dangerous, the younger men would go out to sea for the saltwater fish. When they get too old or tired of ocean fishing, they come here so they can still continue to provide.” Ashley smiled. “It helps them pass the time, and gives them a sense of purpose.”
Some figures on the walls waved to them as they caught sight of the Strongholder, and she waved back with her signature beaming smile. “I think they’re glad to see me. Whenever I come up here, we end up sharing a warm meal of fresh-caught freshwater fish with my fire.”
I guess North Ocean Village might be a great place to retire. Even though Aida questioned the value of sending third-year Class 2 students to North Ocean, she couldn’t help but consider what it would be like to be a resident. But it seems like people rarely get injured, so I don’t think they need a Healer here.
“Good to see you, Ashley,” a grandfatherly figure called to them. “You’ve got some new Naval Strongholder recruits with you today?”
“Not recruits, but students from Maglica Academy,” Ashley replied. “They’re Water practitioners and are here for the week, so I thought I’d bring them up here to make sure the reservoir itself is in good condition.”
To Dev and Aida, she said, “That gentleman there is Sam. He’s nearly eighty suns old.”
“The hike and fresh air up here keeps me spry,” Sam chuckled. Up close, he had kind eyes and a wispy white beard that reached his collarbones. His skin was dark from the constant sun exposure, though he wore a broad-brimmed straw hat on his head. His demeanor and movements belied the spirit of a much younger man. “And fishing keeps my mind and senses sharp!”
“Sam is one of the best fishermen I know,” Ashley gushed to the students. “It’s almost like he can control fish, with how he just hauls them up whenever he wants.”
Sam waved a liver-spotted hand amicably. “No control here, just familiar with the patterns of a hungry fish.”
“Have you developed any mana senses? With the water, or anything?” Aida asked curiously. After all, Caleb’s mother had told her that she had ended up picking up some mana senses from her work; it would be interesting to meet others who picked up other elemental senses.
“Not enough to help with the actual fishing itself,” Sam said, shaking his head sadly. “I try to tell my family I’ve developed some awareness of the storms, but they said I should prove it by protecting the home from getting flooded.” He sighed mournfully. “The younger generation, I tell you. No respect for their elders, so demanding.”
“It was great to see you, Grandpa Sam,” Ashley said. “But if we linger here, we’ll be chatting all day and won’t get any work done.”
Sam waved the trio away, with an admonishment not to work too hard.
The other fishermen on the dam were less chatty than Grandpa Sam, merely greeting them with a wave of a hand or remaining focused on their rods. As they walked, Aida spread her senses out across the water, feeling the small pinpricks of life from the fish as they swam merrily in the reservoir.
“Is there anything I should be looking for?” Aida asked Ashley. “I don’t sense anything odd in the water, but I don’t know what normal conditions are either.”
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“Just if you notice any small leaks or anything,” Ashley said. She pointed to the other side of the dam. “There’s not any water being released right now, so if you feel any surges in the water that would indicate a potential leak.”
Aida glanced at Dev, but he shook his head. “I don’t sense any leaks.”
“Along the whole dam?”
“None.”
Ashley sighed at Dev’s response, stopping at a stretch that didn’t have any fishermen nearby. “I’m really sorry, you two. You must think it’s a waste of time coming to North Ocean Village.”
“Not at all,” Aida said hastily. Even though she had been thinking it, and she and Dev had discussed it, she still felt like it would be rude to admit to it. “I’m sure there’s a good reason Maglica sent us out here.”
“Can you tell us what the monster attacks are like here?” Dev asked. “I presume the Naval Stronghold patrols these woods to make sure the fishermen can travel and fish safely.”
Ashley nodded. “Yes, we split patrols with the Border Stronghold here. But the woods are thinner, so the wildlife isn’t as dangerous as the ones near the school. And as you can see, the reservoir itself is pretty peaceful. Honestly, most of the danger is out on the ocean, which is where most of our patrols are sent.”
“Has the Stronghold noticed any odd monster attacks out in the ocean?”
Ashley shook her head, her red hair fluttering around her shoulders. “No, everything has been business as usual. If it weren’t for the stories I’ve heard of what’s happening inland and what the Border Stronghold reports, we wouldn’t know there’s anything strange occurring.”
“If there’s really not much we can do right now, can Aida and I practice our water manipulation and techniques here?” Dev continued. Ashley tilted her head.
“You want to train here?”
Dev nodded. “We promise we won’t disrupt the fish in here. We can go a bit further away, so we don’t interfere with the elders and their fishing.”
Ashley looked uncertainly at Aida, and Aida nodded encouragingly. “My combat skills are relatively weak, so I think I can get a lot of value out of training with Dev.”
“Well, I certainly don’t have any better ideas,” Ashley said, smiling wryly. She gestured for them to follow her, where she led them to the far end of the dam wall where none of the fisherman had set up their stations.
“Okay, this is probably a safe enough location. What were you two thinking of doing?”
Dev turned immediately to Aida. “I was thinking about your fighting style, Aida.”
Oh no. Aida looked up at Dev with trepidation. Even though he spoke thoughtfully, with no indication that he was about to criticize her, she still couldn’t help but feel like he was about to hit her with an observation of a clear flaw she should have corrected long ago. She felt more confident in her abilities, and she could keep up in classes, but what if she had developed some bad habits that would impede further development?
“Your mana capacity has improved significantly, but I notice you still tend to try to finish a match in as few moves as possible in an effort to conserve your mana.”
“Yes?” Aida said suspiciously. “Isn’t the goal of a fight always to end the fight as soon as possible?”
Dev smiled. “That is one perspective. And in order to help support that preference - and perhaps improve some mana efficiency - I was thinking maybe you could work on becoming an ice attacker.”
“How would specializing as an ice attacker improve mana efficiency?” Aida asked skeptically. “Creating ice requires more mana than creating water.”
“That’s true,” Dev agreed. “However, you are more likely to down your opponent with ice than with water if you make contact. The reason Lara and I use water primarily is because we anticipate a long, tricky match; we opt for endurance, a battle of attrition. However, for you, you might benefit from using ice right from the get-go.”
“Dev’s right,” Ashley said from the side. “When we’re on missions and fighting actual monsters that don’t necessarily fight with strategy, we aim to put them down as fast as possible with our strongest attacks. The longer a fight goes on, the more it goes in the monster’s favor, because they usually have much more endurance than us, and we’re liable to make mistakes.” She shrugged. “It’s up to you, really. Outside of school, you probably don’t need the fancy strategizing you guys have in one-on-one combat.”
“I guess so,” Aida said dubiously. “I also don’t plan on being a combat specialist, so I guess training as an ice specialist might help me increase my mana pool size faster…”
“That’s a fringe benefit,” Dev nodded. “But I think you’ll find as you get faster at converting water to ice, your efficiency with ice will improve over water.”
Seeing the confused expression on Aida’s face, Dev pointed his wand into the reservoir, pulling a stream of water out so it hung next to them. “Let’s look at water as it is now. If I were to launch it at something, in order to make a substantial impact I have to send my mana along with the entirety of this stream so that it keeps its shape…” Dev tightened his grip on his wand, and the water straightened into a rigid aqua spear, Dev’s mana enveloping the liquid in a bright, clear blue. He shot the projectile back into the water, creating a massive splash that showered them in crisp, refreshing droplets.
Dev pulled another stream of water up. “Now, if I first use my mana to convert this to ice…” the water straightened back into spear form and grew an icy shell over it, remaining suspended in the air. “…That’s it. I don’t need to expend any additional mana making sure all of the water used in the ice is suspended. So now, in order to launch it…”
The ice spear sank into the water with barely a whisper. “I don’t need that much mana to keep its form.”
Aida tapped her chin thoughtfully. Dev made a compelling point about the ice and water mana consumption, and it certainly did suit her attack style better. There was just one major problem…
“But…my aim isn’t that good.”
Dev and Ashley exchanged smirks. “There’s only one way to improve that kind of problem.”