The Lone Wanderer-Chapter 269: Blumbins

A soft flame burned over Lyn’s palm, bathing their surroundings in its golden radiance. Percy had to admit, he was impressed she could maintain the spell for so long with just an Orange core.

From what she’d explained, the trick lay in diffusing the fire mana through multiple channels before releasing it. By spreading the heat as thinly as possible, she maximized brightness while minimizing her energy consumption.

‘I guess she hasn’t been slacking in the Pre-casting classes.’

Lyn had once mentioned her dream of becoming a world-renowned chef. Mastering her fire magic had never been about combat – she saw it as another tool among many that she hoped would help her in the kitchen.

Still, Percy wasn’t thrilled about staying up this late. The term was ending in just a few days, and he had yet to brew the ink for Dugris. His air Circulation technique also needed more practice. He could activate it and maintain it for a while by now, but moving without messing up the flow was a challenge.

Given all that, he had initially wanted to decline Lyn’s invitation, thinking his time was better spent studying or resting. However, he just hadn’t found it in his heart to turn her down, seeing how excited she’d been. Especially knowing how little time he had left with her and Klatz.

Regardless of whether he succeeded in healing Leo, he was unlikely to see either of them again after leaving Felmara. The least he could do – given all the kindness they’d shown him – was to hang out a few more times…

Then again, he wasn’t the only one regretting the lost sleep tonight.

“Lyn, can you remind me why we couldn’t just go for a picnic during the day?” Klatz grumbled, his voice still a little raspy.

“Like I said, this isn’t a regular picnic!” she rolled her eyes. “Just wait a little longer. I promise it’s worth it.”

The trio had already trekked several miles from the academy buildings. Technically, they were still within the school’s premises, though the area here was far less manicured. The neatly arranged flowerbeds and the cobblestone paths had long given way to wild grasslands, the knee-high blades swaying gently in the night breeze.

The overgrown terrain made for slow and slightly eerie travel. If Percy hadn’t already learned that the academy routinely culled any dangerous beasts in the region, he might have been a little more on edge.

Eventually, a small grove rose in the horizon. Unlike the oak-like trees with the pink trunks and blue leaves he’d seen closer to the school, these trees were different. Their leaves were still a shade of blue, but they were shaped like needles. The trees were much taller too, their bark a familiar brown colour that one might see on Remior.

As soon as the tiny forest came into view, Lyn picked up the pace, practically dragging the others forward with renewed vigour.

“We’re nearly there! You brought the rug and plates, right?”

“For the third time, it’s all in my backpack!” Klatz groaned.

The kids didn’t stop until they reached a clearing in the middle of the grove. Only then did Klatz lay down the rug, Lyn placing the basket of pastries she’d hung over her shoulder in the middle. Next, they sat in a loose circle around it.

Percy felt a twinge of guilt as he realized he hadn’t contributed as much. The only thing he’d brought were a few snacks from the vending machine. But neither Lyn nor Klatz seemed to mind, the latter absentmindedly grabbing a handful of krimbian leaves before tossing them in his mouth. Meanwhile, Lyn passed Percy a loaf of bread, warming it slightly with a touch of mana.

He appreciated the warmth spreading through his fingers before biting a chunk off.

“This tastes… different from the last one you gave me.” he remarked between chews.

Lyn grinned.

“They can’t all be the same, can they? I played around with the fermentation process this time.”

Percy nodded, taking another bite. The night air was a little colder than he’d like, but the warmth of the food and the quiet company made up for it. For now, at least, the weight of their upcoming goodbyes could wait.

“Lyn… your pastries are awesome as always, but I’m still not seeing why we had to come here this late.” Klatz said once more. This time, he sounded more curious than annoyed though.

“Of course you don’t!” her grin widened. “That’s because the main event has yet to start! Just give it another hour or so.”

Accepting her response for now, neither Klatz nor Percy dwelled on it any further, appreciating their time together instead. They chatted about all sorts of things, from their classes, to gossiping about their classmates, to the new lomerian kebabs in the cafeteria.

Stolen story; please report.

At some point, the topic shifted to the upcoming term, the kids asking each other what subjects they planned to study. Suffice to say, Percy was forced to lie to them again, saying he would stick with Alchemy and Pre-casting, replacing Cosmic Studies with Affinities.

The truth was, he intended to leave right after the Mana Flow lecture. Although he hadn’t made as much progress with pre-casting as he would have liked, he still hoped to make up for that in the Wiseman’s Chamber. Meanwhile, the things he’d learned in the other courses were already plenty to bring back home.

Not that there wasn’t more to learn on Felmara, but he’d already hit diminishing returns in terms of usefulness, and there were plenty of other places in the universe he wanted to visit. Staying any longer just wasn’t very efficient.

“Shhhh! It’s starting!” Lyn suddenly said, putting her index finger on her lips.

Percy and Klatz looked around, still unsure why she’d brought them here. At first, they didn’t see anything different, though it didn’t take long for the spectacle to begin.

Soon, a flock of birds stormed through the grove. They didn’t just fly above the trees’ crowns, but also through the tiniest gaps in their branches, and around their trunks. A few whizzed by their ears, the gust sending Percy and Klutz’s manes into turmoil.

Under other circumstances, it would have been a scary scene, as the birds’ wings blotted out the sky and could have easily plunged their surroundings into darkness. However, that wasn’t what happened. The birds were tiny, each of them small enough to fit in Percy’s palm. And their bodies shone in various colours – from fiery reds, to cold blues, to electric yellows.

It wasn’t magic lighting up their flesh either. They were nothing more than regular birds, Red cores pulsing weakly in their torsos, not a speck of mana flowing in their bodies. This was just good old luminescence, like an avian version of the fireflies they had on Remior.

“They are called blumbins!” Lyn practically shouted. It was the only way to be heard over the cacophony of flapping wings. “A friend from my Cooking class told me about them! Apparently, it’s currently their mating season! They spend most of the day sleeping on the trees, only waking up a few hours before sunrise, looking for a partner!”

Percy – who had used his forearms to shield his face from the flock – gave up resistance. Instead, he fell back, resting his head on the cool grass. The others followed his lead, the trio silently observing the exotic dance taking place before their eyes.

At some point, Percy noticed that only half of the birds were shining, turning the forest into a living painting of bright lights intermingling with dark shadows.

“Only the male birds glow!” Lyn suddenly said, explaining the phenomenon. “They’re competing for the females’ attention!”

The dance continued for several minutes, only beginning to die down when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the thicket. By now, the kids’ hearts were racing in their chests, the exotic performance having stirred more than a few feelings.

“I take all my complaints back!” Klatz exclaimed once it was all over. “Thanks for bringing us here! This was definitely worth losing a few hours of sleep!”

Lyn wasn’t paying him any attention, however. Instead, she grabbed Percy’s hand, looking him in the eyes.

“Leo. Can you do me a favour?” she asked, her voice soft and wavering.

“Huh?” Percy was taken aback by her sudden move.

As much as he enjoyed her and Klatz’s company, he had no intention of getting any closer to her than he already had. She was just a kid, and he wasn’t even the person she thought him to be. Not to mention that he had a girlfriend back home.

Yet, her next words weren’t what he had expected.

“Please, don’t go to the Mana Flow lecture.” she said, the corners of her eyes glistening with tears.

“Lyn, what are you saying?!” Klatz exploded, struggling to mask his shock.

But she ignored him, speaking again.

“Just make up some excuse! Tell them you’re sick! Hell, take a few of those sleeping pills if you have to! I know how much we’ve pressured you into getting off them but… maybe just this once… it’s better than the alternative…” she begged, her voice cracking.

Percy was too stunned to speak, her request having come out of the blue. Instead, it was Klatz who protested.

“Lyn!” he yelled again, some anger seeping into his voice this time. “You know that missing the Mana Flow lectures is a serious offense! Are you trying to get him in trouble?!”

She bit her lip at the accusation, her fingers clenching tightly around Percy’s.

“I know… But you saw what happened last year!” she cried. “I just don’t get why Lord Rhaziel wants the course to be taught in such a barbaric manner! Why can’t they just teach us like all the other classes?!” she asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Needless to say, Percy was racking his brain to figure out what she was talking about. He’d long guessed there was something weird going on with the Mana Flow course, but he couldn’t ask people directly. Yet, Lyn’s words had given him a few more clues.

‘Barbaric? Do they beat the kids up if they fail to make progress?’

This would be completely out of character compared to everything else he’d seen on Felmara. Most of the people he’d met were kind and reasonable – students and teachers alike. The academy was fair and efficient, the kids treated with respect and taught with patience.

Then again, he could see why Mana Flow would be handled differently to the other subjects. If it was half as powerful as Circulation, it made sense that Rhaziel wanted all his people to learn it without exception. Perhaps a carrot and stick approach was simply the most effective way to accomplish that.

‘Is this what led to Leo’s death?’

Maybe the boy hadn’t been very talented in it, receiving a nasty beating as punishment. That could explain why he’d withdrawn from his friends and ended up addicted to the pills. Then again, it didn’t answer everything. Why would everyone treat him so coldly if it was just that? There had to be more he was missing.

“It’s not our place to question Lord Rhaziel.” Klatz said in a severe tone. “I don’t like how the course is taught either, but the gods are the ones who know what’s best for our world. Just, don’t let things go like they did last year…”

Lyn looked like she wanted to say something, but Percy stopped her, squeezing her hand gently.

“Thank you for looking out for me, but Klatz is right. I need to attend that lesson.”

Whatever the case, Mana Flow was easily the most valuable thing on Felmara. Percy couldn’t possibly miss his one opportunity to learn it.

“But what if the same thing happens? What if you get seriously hurt this time?!”

Percy looked at her in the eyes, not daring to blink.

“No matter what happens, I promise you I’ll take care of myself.”

‘And I’ll do everything I can to protect Leo too…’ he kept that last part to himself.