229 Answers

As to their answers, well…

"The source of magic?" Isabelle repeated, thinking back. Right. Didn't magic come from mana? What was it Mindy said? Something about a blue mana crystal mine? "It should be somewhere near Kara-Goth."

***

"The source of magic?" Juni frowned. "I haven't learned that Rune yet. Can you teach me? Where can I learn it?"

"It's not a rune… it's… um… actually I'm not sure what it is." The Sacred Sigil guy admitted. "Maybe you might? I mean, you're from the Wildlands. Surely you should know better than me."

Juni glanced at Siti. Siti thought about it.

Something in the Wildlands? Something any kid from there should know about? Perhaps they meant some sort of book Remian used to teach Mindy and the others magic back at Kara-Goth? If there were such books or scrolls, then the place they'd be stored would be…

"Maybe it's kept hidden in the Adventurer's Guild at Kara-Goth?"

***

"You want to know about the source of magic?" Gary repeated, rubbing his hands. "Now, now, that sort of information is valuable. What are you willing to pay for it?"

***

"Isn't the source of magic your heart? Or your soul or something?" Jamie asked, puzzled.

***

Karen stared at Jessica, and felt an odd shiver run up her spine. They way she spoke…

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"You're… not talking about something dirty, are you?"

***

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Loh admitted right out. "What about you? Where does your magic come from?"

"Most of us at Tian Di are best at Draconian Magic. It's a special bloodline given to us by the Dragon Emperor!" the guy said proudly. "Watch this…!"

With a shout, a fireball flew out of his mouth and hit a nearby sand-pit. It exploded, sending flames and sand across a few feet.

"It's from a special bloodline?" Loh squinted.

"It's draconian essence blood." The guy said in a low, conspirational voice. "If you work hard in our club, you'll be able to get some too. Just the low level type, unless you become a Core Member and go to the Dragon Empire, but even the low level essence blood is good stuff. I bet it's actually dragon blood!"

Well, if the club got draconian magic from dragon blood, then… "Are you talking about Dragon Lake? It's a huge lake a few days south of Kara-Goth. There are many dragons there."

The guy's eyes widened. "Yes! Yes, that makes sense! Of course, dragons would be where the Source of Magic is! In fact… what if dragons ARE the source of magic?!"

"Aren't they?" Loh asked, puzzled.

"Of course! I knew it! I knew it all along!!" the guy ran off raving. "I KNEW IT!"

***

But as for Mindy, she looked at her passengers and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"The Source of Magic! Come now, everyone knows it's in the Wildlands." The three girls confronting her chided. "If you tell us, we'll give you premium membership in Club Fairy Wing! But you have to promise not to tell any other club! No matter what they offer!"

"Wh…" Mindy felt her heart sink. From the sound of it, the word had already spread. "Who told you? Who told you about this?!"

"That's a secret!" one girl said, and winked. "Think about it, dear. You could gain a lot if you help us get a head start."

A head start. In other words, these passengers she was bringing home weren't hopeful settlers looking for a new life. They were competing treasure hunters in a race for the world's greatest source of mana.

Watching the three girls go, Mindy mumbled to herself. "Should I dump everyone overboard? Would that be okay?"

But no. There was honor involved, as an airship captain and a representative of Kara-Goth. She couldn't just dump her passengers after accepting their money and promising them safe harbor and a new life at Kara-Goth. That was just plain unethical.

Besides, since the word was out, it hardly mattered who sent them there. One way or the other, these competing clubs (and whatever other interested parties) were all going to scramble for the Source. If not her, they'd find someone else to bring them. Simply denying them passage or throwing them overboard wasn't going to stop the horde of treasure hunters.

Half in despair, Mindy marched out of the airport, promising to be back in time for launch. She headed straight for Father Petrov's place.

But on the way, she stopped and stared at a sight that told her the answer she wanted.

There, lazing in a beach chair, served by two maids by a private swimming pool on an expansive lawn of a newly built mansion was Sir Ivan's wife. Sir Ivan himself was on the other side of the lawn, planting saplings in a newly dug garden.

At first Mindy wanted to scream at him. 'Sir Ivan! How did you suddenly get so much money?!'

But she didn't. Firstly because she already knew the answer. Secondly, because she didn't think it was really him who did it. Looking at him gardening and looking at his wife in the beach chair, it was plain to see which of them was the more comfortable with the finer things in life. Even now, Sir Ivan couldn't give up laboring.

No. It was her. Sir Ivan was just an unsuspecting beneficiary. Mindy felt it in her bones. SHE was the one who did it. It was Sir Ivan's wife who sold information about the Source of Magic.

For a moment, Mindy itched to blow the mansion to pieces. Fire her airship's cannons at it, or cast a powerful spell on it, or have her arrested or something…

But how? There was no contract signed or anything. She'd just thought better, trusted in the better nature and common sense of people…

But common sense for the well being of the world was not the same as common sense for the well being of one's own pockets.

Mindy turned and walked away darkly. In these lands, there was nothing she could do about this.

In the lands of man, she was just a little girl stomping her feet on the road.

But when they got to the Wildlands…

There, things would be a whole different case.