Chapter 737: Miraculous water

A few days later, after traveling south from the northern region and crossing a vast distance through the central landmass, the relatively large group had set up camp near its southern tip.

A burst of mana swirled through the camp as Mira, Tessa, and Isolde finished their breakthroughs. Elion watched with a pleased smile, checking each of them with his eyes before nodding to himself.

Level thirty-one.

All three had entered the Adept stage.

Considering they had been in and around level twenty-nine only a few days ago, it was quite an impressive jump.

Usually, saturating their cores and completing a breakthrough would have required days, even weeks, of meditation, but the liquidized mana had supplied enough energy to force the process along.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean they could keep drinking it until they became Archmages.

Their cores had only just advanced, and they needed time to stabilize and strengthen them through proper meditation.

Unlike Elion, they didn’t have a system to handle those matters for them, and continuously forcing their growth could leave them with damaged or ruptured cores.

For now, they would have to stop and spend the next few days becoming accustomed to the changes.

Tessa opened her eyes first, staring down at her hands before clenching them into fists. She looked as though she wanted to get up and test her strength, but Mira caught her arm before she could stand.

"Don’t even think about it. He said we need to stabilize first."

"I wasn’t going to do anything."

Mira gave her a look.

"Fine," Tessa grumbled, sitting herself down again.

Isolde laughed quietly beside them, though she soon closed her eyes and returned to meditating. The other two followed, leaving the mana around them to gradually settle.

The second-years watched from nearby, their expressions making it quite clear how they felt about the spectacle. Maya, Nora, Cole, and even Uta were no less interested, while several of the survivors traveling with Princess Isla and Holy Daughter Solara kept glancing between the three girls and Elion.

He had already shown them the two waterskins he claimed to have obtained from the underworld. After seeing how easily the three had broken through, quite a few people were looking rather green with envy.

Althea, however, was staring at his back.

’Two waterskins?’

She had watched him fill far more than two. She had even helped keep count at one point, yet he had stood before everyone and declared his findings without the slightest hesitation.

Elion kept his back to her, seemingly unbothered by the scrutiny. Every so often, he spoke to one of the others or checked on the three girls, but he never once looked uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze.

’How can someone lie so shamelessly?’

He certainly had thick skin.

Princess Isla noticed the paladin’s stare and looked toward Solara, who seemed just as curious. Neither interrupted, however. They could ask her about it later, preferably when they weren’t surrounded by so many people.

Meanwhile, Elion turned toward Maya and found her looking at him oddly.

He smiled.

"Don’t worry. I’ll naturally give the Triad Alliance the share I owe them."

Maya blinked, then waved her hands at him.

"T-that wasn’t what I meant. I wasn’t trying to make it seem as though I thought you would keep everything for yourself."

"Of course."

"I know you wouldn’t cheat us," she continued, looking a little flustered now that he had so easily guessed what was on her mind. "I trusted that you would remember the contract."

Elion nodded, keeping the same shameless smile on his face.

"Of course I wouldn’t."

Behind him, Althea’s eyes narrowed.

She looked toward Maya, then back at the man who had apparently decided that two waterskins were all anyone needed to know about. For a moment, she considered saying something.

But then she remembered that she was still hoping to buy some for the church. Althea shook her head in defeat, amazed by how shameless he could be.

Camping had become a rather comfortable affair for them, all thanks to Elion. He could still remember how both annoyed and happy Mayumi and Yaana had been when they discovered what he could build with his earth magic.

Naturally, both had demanded to know why they had been sleeping in tents when he could have made something so much better.

Since then, he had been building small structures for everyone to sleep in each day. It had been tedious at first, especially with how large their group had become, but Elion had to admit that he liked it now.

Mostly because it was helping with his control and casting speed.

His buildings were becoming smoother, more stable, and closer to what he imagined with each attempt.

He no longer needed to spend so much time fixing uneven floors or reinforcing awkward sections of the roof, and he could raise several walls together without losing track of their shape.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he could create large structures in mere seconds. It was a useful exercise, to say the least.

Looking at the many small buildings arranged in a circle around camp, Elion nodded in satisfaction. The largest stood a little behind him, and he had shamelessly reserved it for himself, Mira, Tessa, and Isolde.

If he was going to do all the work, he could at least enjoy a few benefits.

"Elion."

He turned to find Rina approaching with the other second-years. Mira and the others had finished their meditation for the moment and were getting ready to head inside, but they stopped upon noticing the group.

"What is it?" he asked.

Rina glanced toward her companions before speaking.

"We wanted to ask whether you would be willing to part with some of that water. For the right price, of course."

Elion smiled.

"Naturally," he said. "For the right price." He emphasized.

The second-years exchanged glances. He had explained that the waterskins were enchanted and could hold far more than ordinary ones, so they knew he possessed a considerable amount.

Even so, seeing what a little had done for the three first-years made it difficult to imagine what he might charge.

Rina had been considering how much she could afford when Elion retrieved one of his magical waterskins.

"Pass me yours."

She blinked. "Mine?"

"Your waterskin." He stretched out his hand. "An empty one, preferably."

Rina handed it over, watching as he removed the stopper and began filling it with the shimmering blue liquid. The others stared, and even Mira raised a brow when he continued pouring until the ordinary waterskin was full.

Elion closed both containers and passed hers back.

"There."

Rina looked down at it, then back at him. "How much do you want for this?"

He put his own waterskin away and walked toward Mira, Tessa, and Isolde, gathering them along with him.

"Nothing."

Her mouth fell open.

"This is my thanks for what you did for Isolde," Elion said as he reached the entrance to their building.

Rina remained standing with the waterskin in her hands, unable to find a response before he disappeared inside with the three women.

Those around her were no less stunned, and they could only look on in envy.

’He seriously gave it to her, just like that!?’ they all wondered silently.