Batara fell silent for a while thinking how he vaguely remembered talking to a god which felt like a dream. He then hid what happened in his dream and replied “Huh? Sorry I’m just tired.” Isha nervously replied “H-how about going back to Lorelai’s Reverie?” Batara looked hesitant as he still felt uncomfortable. However, looking at Batara’s reaction, Isha insisted “P-please after everything you did, Its only right if I repay your kindness! I will even let you stay for free!” Batara felt overwhelmed and said “N-no, I didnt do anything worthy.” Isha’s tone turned calmer as she replied “You did plenty. The necklace you brought to me was my gift to my brother when he’s about to become an adventurer. I was really against him becoming one so we fought a lot about it. But in the end, I could not convince him, so I made him a necklace as a good luck charm, but he said …”
Isha was holding back her tears as she continued “Dont worry I dont need luck. I promise you I will be just fine and become a great adventurer in no time! But…” Isha inhaled deeply before she continued “I will wear it whenever I miss home.” Isha couldnt contain her tears anymore and started crying. Batara looked confused and didnt know what to do. He was aware that Isha’s reaction was how it was supposed to be when facing someone’s death but Batara didnt share the same feelings, never was, even after facing many deaths himself. After a while, Isha stopped crying and returned to his former nervous demeanor “I-I’m sorry to sprung this out on you all of a sudden. I just want to tell you how precious the necklace that you brought me.” Batara raised his hand gesturing “Dont worry about it” as he thought that it was all only a coincidence and he didnt deserve any praise. Isha then said “For that reason, I will help you in any way I can to make your adventure easier. So please return to Lorelai’s Reverie.” Batara didnt see any way he can turn down the offer so he finally agreed but he didnt want to stay for free. So the two then settled with giving Batara the biggest room in Lorelai’s Reverie with the usual price without a short stay penalty.
Batara then bid his goodbye to Isha as he was planning to head to the market. Isha then told him all she knew about the shops that provide good quality goods with reasonable prices. Batara then thanked Isha and headed straight to the market. Isha’s advice was really spot on as the shops Batara came to really had the good stuff. But as he was low on money he refrained himself from impulsive buying.
As Batara was shopping for supplies, he thought about the stuff he heard in his “dream”. He only vaguely remembered the part about reincarnation and the gods so he set it aside. However, he remembered about the artifacts not being the source of his strange magic and the magic itself is something he was born with. He thought that if that was the case, why would the magic only appear after he put on the Hood of Facade and Jaram Cursed Crown. As much as he wanted to gather information about the artifacts, Batara opposed the idea of having to explain how he obtained them. Thus, he decided to go to the library later and see if he could find any information.
After Batara was done shopping, he went back to Lorelai’s Reverie as he promised Isha. Isha immediately greeted him in anticipation and showed him to the new room. The room was twice bigger than Batara’s previous room and even though it was very neat and tidy the room had the same old vibe as his previous one. Isha then asked “D-do you like the room?” Batara nodded in approval. Isha's eyes lit up as she replied “Alright then, hope you have a good rest” before leaving Batara. Batara then put down his stuff and headed downstairs to cook as he was very hungry.
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Batara headed straight to the kitchen and started cooking. He boiled some potatoes along with some vegetables. When the ingredients were boiled, he took out his scepter and casted his magic with a small amount of mana into the pot “Pulverize!” that crushed all the vegetables inside the pot. He then added Dewdrop cream and seasonings into the pot and stirred everything together until the soup thickens. Batara finished cooking his dish called Pottage and served it with a side of bread. He wished he had cheese to complement his pottage but unfortunately he didnt have the budget to buy it.
Batara then ate his dish on the dining table. He was so hungry that he only noticed Isha was staring at him eating his pottage after he finished it. After seeing Isha’s familiar reaction a couple times before, Batara walked towards Isha and said “There’s still some left in the kitchen” before he walked upstairs. Isha blushed in embarrassment as she realized what she did and replied “S-sorry for always imposing on you!” Batara raised his hand gesturing to not worry about it.
Even though the night had just arrived, Batara went straight to his room and sat himself on the corner. He was eager to try what he learned in the library about Mana Marking. However, he was not sure how to cast magic using both his Mana and Shakti. So he tried to meditate first hoping he would get some epiphany like he did last time.
The Anomalies of Mana mentioned practicing by remembering how it felt when he casted magic with only Shakti. So Batara did so and started to recall the feelings he had when he first casted his strange magic. Desperation, hopelessness, and terror are starting to return. However, instead of pushing them away, he tried to let it enter his body willingly, giving him a better grasp on what he felt. As he delved deeper into his emotions, he felt something gradually opened up in his mind. Just as he was on the verge of gaining an insight, Batara’s head felt very heavy as he groaned in pain “Argghh…” Unable to endure the escalating pain, Batara collapsed on the floor.
Batara then woke up while still lying on the floor of his room. He tried to get up but all of a sudden his head was spinning intensely. He pressed his hand against his head hoping that the pain would go away. To his relief, in just a brief moment, all the pain in his head cleared up and he felt revitalized. Batara wondered if he was able to cast magic with both Mana and Shakti after all that series of headaches. Thus, he tried casting magic and felt something had opened up in his head. Batara thought that it must be the Shakti, so he casted his magic “Mana Coating!” while accessing Shakti. In that moment, he felt that his Mana got drawn out along with a dizziness sensation in his head just as the Anomalies of Mana book described. Then two forms of magic orb are starting to intertwine before merging into one. Batara then changed the shape of the orb into a bolt and shot it towards the wall. The bolt traveled rapidly before leaving visible veins of transparent light. Batara had finally succeeded in creating a Mana Marking.
However, as much as Batara wanted to bask in his glory, he saw through the window and realized that the sun was already up when he was supposed to meet Klaus in the morning. So he took his equipment and rushed to the adventurer guild.