The trio proceeded to rent a carriage. As they prepared to depart, Dain naturally took the reins, checking the horse’s tack with the ease of experience. Arsha wasn’t surprised, but Eira watched him with wide-eyed amazement.

  “Dain, can you teach me how to ride a horse?” she asked, her voice full of wonder.

  “Maybe next time,” he replied, his focus on the leather straps. “Right now, we need to reach Santan Village before dark.”

  “Why bother learning, Eira?” Arsha leaned over with a sly grin. “When you have such a capable manservant to drive for you?”

  “I just think it would be fun,” Eira answered, her gaze lingering on the horse’s powerful, graceful form. “Horses are such magnificent creatures…” Her voice trailed off with a hint of wistfulness, but she didn’t press the matter.

  They loaded their gear, with Dain taking the driver’s seat at the front and the two women settling in the carriage’s cushioned rear.

  “You know, Eira,” Arsha said casually as the carriage began to roll, “I started thinking that you might be a noble’s daughter, and Dain-bo here is your personal retainer.”

  “That’s a funny joke, Master,” Eira responded, a nervous laugh escaping her. “If we were rich, money wouldn’t be such a problem for us.”

  “Yah… Fair point,” Arsha conceded, tapping her chin. “Maybe Dain-bo was just born to be a maid.” She burst into loud, carefree laughter.

  “Probably,” Eira agreed, giggling along.

  The two spent the next stretch of the journey amusing themselves at Dain’s expense. He merely let out a long-suffering sigh and kept his eyes on the forest road stretching north.

  By afternoon, they stopped in a small clearing beside the road, a grassy patch shaded by tall pines, perfect for letting the horses rest and for them to eat a quick lunch. As they ate, Eira’s mind returned to magic.

  “Master, what’s the secret to wide-area lightning spells?” she asked between bites. “You said to focus on a start and an end point. I can’t visualize how to turn that into an area of effect.”

  “You’re overcomplicating it, Eira,” Arsha said, spearing a piece of meat with her fork. “See this fork? One point at this end,” she pointed to the handle, “four points at the other.” She wiggled the tines. “Your magic starts at one point. It can end at many.” Finishing her meal, Arsha stood up. She used the heel of her boot to clear a patch of dirt and drew a large circle. Inside it, she scattered a dozen small X’s. “See? The entire circle is your target area. You just need to fill it with multiple end points. Then, tarrah! You have a wide-area spell.”

  Eira stared, amazed. The explanation was far simpler than she’d imagined. “I see. You really are a great teacher, Master.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Hehe!” Arsha smirked, puffing out her chest with pride. “I told you partnering with me was a good idea.”

  “But,” Eira added, her analytical mind kicking in, “won’t splitting the magic across multiple points make each bolt weaker?”

  “It will,” Arsha confirmed. “But the goal of a wide-area lightning spell isn’t usually to kill everything instantly.”

  “Then what’s the point?”

  “Paralysis,” Arsha said simply. “Even a weak jolt can stun an enemy for a few critical seconds. That gives you or your party time to set up a follow-up attack. Of course,” she added with a wink, “if the monsters are weak enough, or your magic stat is high enough, they might just die on the spot.”

  Eira remembered Marin’s precise, devastating strikes in the Verdant Cloud, a perfect setup for Dain’s finishing blow. “So it can control the battlefield for your allies.”

  “Correct. It’s also useful against large monsters,” Arsha continued. “Hitting them in multiple places at once is more effective than concentrating on one spot. Some creatures are cunning; they’ll expose a more resistant part of their body to block your spell. With a wide-area attack, you bypass that defense. The total damage across all points can match or even exceed a single, focused bolt.”

  “Whoa, I see…” Eira murmured, her mind whirring as she processed the tactical implications. “So it would also be good for pinning down fast-moving targets.”

  “Exactly!”

  “How about multiple lightning bolts?” Eira asked. “I think it will be inefficient if they just converge into one target.”

  “Inefficient? Only at first,” Arsha said, her tone turning serious. “For a true master with immense focus and control, casting multiple, powerful bolts in different directions simultaneously is possible. And that is what separates a genius lightning mage from a merely talented one.”

  “Hurry up, you two!” Dain called from the driver’s seat, breaking the lesson. “We need to keep moving.”

  “Come on, Eira.” Arsha offered a hand to her student, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, lost in thought.

  “...Okay.” Eira smiled, taking the offered hand and rising to her feet.

  The trio arrived at Santan Village just as the sun began to dip below the horizon. At the village entrance, they were met by two Royal Guards in gleaming armor. Dain presented their quest sheet.

  “We’re here for the goblin extermination.”

  The Guards inspected the document. “The mission briefing is at 2000H in the chieftain’s hall. You can rest until then.”

  “Thank you.” Dain nodded as they passed through the gate.

  “Why are Royal Guards here?” Eira whispered once they were out of earshot.

  “They’re overseeing the operation and guarding the village in case the situation escalates beyond the adventurers’ control,” Dain explained.

  “That’s not going to happen, right?” Eira asked, a thread of anxiety in her voice.

  “Of course not,” Arsha declared confidently. “They’re just goblins.”

  Dain took the carriage directly to the village stable, paying a small fee for the horse’s care. Eira’s eyes lingered on the variety of horses in their stalls—different colors, sizes, and builds—but she could only look at them.

  They then sought out the village inn to drop off their packs. Due to its location, sitting near the highway through the north, the place was bustling. The innkeeper, an elderly man, gave them an apologetic look.

  “I’m afraid we only have one room left.”

  “That will be fine. We’ll take it,” Arsha said quickly before anyone could object. She leaned close to Eira and Dain, her voice a theatrical whisper. “We don’t have a choice…”

  Dain could only swallow hard, a sudden, icy chill running down his spine at her words and the mischievous glint in her eye.