Cui Ciyou watched Roxy's ever-changing expression shift from relief at surviving a disaster to dejected self-pity.
He found it rather amusing, but this was hardly the occasion, so he could only hold back his smile.
"All right, stop making things worse," Cui Ciyou said solemnly. "What matters most right now..."
"Is having Teacher Roxy cast Tracking Magic to find Alice."
Cui Ciyou turned toward Roxy, his tone gentle.
"Do you need anything to cast Tracking Magic? Shall I get it ready right away?"
Roxy quickly collected herself and answered without hesitation.
"Nothing special. It's just that Tracking Magic requires the target's mana."
"So please give me a piece of Lady Alice's clothing, something she wears next to her skin."
Upon hearing this, Hilda immediately sent a maid to fetch one of Alice's favorite little undershirts.
Roxy took the garment, her expression turning focused and solemn.
She closed her eyes, held the soft garment before her chest, and began quietly chanting a magic incantation.
"Whispers of the wind, sighs of the earth, guidance of the stars, memories of flowing water... all things possess a spirit. Let mana be my guide. Follow the fading trail and lead me to where that mana vanished... Track!"
(Cui Ciyou recalled what he had learned from books.)
Mana was one of the fundamental building blocks of this world.
Every individual or object possessed unique mana fluctuations and characteristics, just like fingerprints. Tracking Magic used a specific medium to sense and lock onto the unique mana traces left behind by a target, then used the caster's own mana to indicate the target's direction or location.
As a Water Saint-level magician, Roxy possessed extraordinary mana and precision of control. A single search could cover the entire Boreas Estate.
As Cui Ciyou watched, pale blue mana light spread from