137 Problem? Solution!

"That... complicates things," Guy muttered.

Marie sighed in exasperation and said, "Do you see what I mean?! No matter what solution we come up with, it is useless if we can't detect the waves of fate. And to do that is literally impossible!"

Markus hummed lightly before saying, "There has to be a way. Mage Nara wouldn't hand you an impossible task."

"Wouldn't he, though?" Marie scoffed. "I bet he is just taking out his frustrations on me. I knew he didn't like me. He's hoping to see me suffer and then crawl back and admit defeat."

"You should probably do that," Markus chuckled. "I don't think we will make any progress like this."

"No! Absolutely not!" Marie retorted vehemently. "Teacher Larks. You've gotta help me," she then pleaded.

"I-" Guy started. "Look, this is really beyond my knowledge. I don't know how to help you, although I really wish that I could. If you have any idea, I'll give you my complete support."

Marie exhaled in dejection and agreed with a despondent shrug.

"Why don't you spend some time away from the problem? Leave it for the time being, maybe walk around the village, play with the kids? Do anything to divert your mind. Tomorrow, return to the problem after some meditation. A clearer, less cluttered mind may spark some inspiration." Guy suggested.

Marie nodded forlornly and left the room. She navigated through the hallways of the orphanage and returned to her bedroom. Although it was just a little past twilight, Marie was feeling immensely exhausted. It may have been her earlier mental gymnastics in trying to decipher her Master's vague teachings that had drained her completely. She would have remained taut if not for her earlier consultation with Teacher Larks. Although it didn't lead to anything productive, it did somehow alleviate some of the stress bubbling inside her.

After she entered her room, Marie immediately removed her excess clothing and plopped down on her floor mattress. Her head fell upon her new duck-feather pillow, descending gradually, pulling her gently into a deep albeit tense sleep. She slept through dinner, much to Grace's chagrin.

The next morning, Marie arose like clockwork half an hour before sunrise. She went through her morning rituals in a state of detached autonomy. She actively tried to dissuade her mind from reverting and preoccupying itself with the monumental task ahead of her, just like Teacher Larks had instructed. After taking a quick, cold shower, Marie caught a quick breakfast and hurried outside to begin her meditation through Yoga.

"Big Sis! Big Sis!" Dora caught Marie right as Marie left the orphanage.

"Dora?"

"Big Sis, Medium Sis and I are going to sieve the stream for medicine!" Dora exclaimed energetically as she grabbed Marie's hand.

"What?" Marie asked with a squint.

"*cough* It's to collect beneficial particle run-offs from the stream," Jean explained. "Dora found out recently that upstream there is a substantial Metal-Shell Beatle territory. These insects thrive in regions with high metal constitutions and process metal ores by consuming them to reinforce their exoskeletons. The shedding from their highly-processed exoskeletons and their excrement is extremely valuable as alchemy catalysts. Large quantities of this can be obtained by slaying these creatures, but they are difficult to combat due to their swarming behaviour. Thankfully, the Metal-Shell Beatles frequently wash themselves and primarily excrete near flowing streams to keep their territories free of impurities. We can catch the shedding as run-off from the stream."

"I'm kind of busy-"

"But Big Sis! You never play with us anymore," Dora pouted. "Please," she added while elongating the syllable for as long as she could hold her breath.

Marie smiled wryly under her sister's emotional assault. While she very much wanted to just attack her problem as soon as possible, she figured that distracting herself with this menial task would help clear her mind a little bit. Thus, after a short internal debate, Marie finally acquiesced. "Okay, okay! But only for a little bit. You Big Sis has a lot of things on her plate right now."

Dora celebrated excitedly before rushing off in the direction of the stream with a sieve in her hands.

Jean and Marie followed the hyperactive little girl, each carrying their own sieves. The equipment was of a simple design - made out of pliable wood bark turned into a closed circle and tied together with rope. A porous cloth was then draped over one side, pulled until taut, and fastened with another length of rope.

The trio arrived at the stream and positioned themselves in a spaced-out fashion along its breadth such that the water reached halfway between their knees and ankles. Dora was stationed near the bank of the stream for safety, while Jean and Marie waded towards the stream's centre. Then, they periodically lowered and raised the sieve against the flow of water, catching debris and deposits as it flowed downstream. Intermittently, they inspected the sieve and removed unwanted catches such as dead insects, rocks and pebbles, wood shards, and so on.

At first, Marie wasn't sure what they were looking for in particular. "Is this it?" She asked while pointing out a peculiar, lustrous grainy powder caught in the sieve.

"Yes. After rinsing it you can transfer it to the bucket on the side," Jean instructed after giving Marie's sieve a cursory glance.

This process continued for a while, during which, Marie entered a steady, disconnected trance. The monotony of the whole process had incrementally crept into Marie's mind and had lulled her into a state of quietude.

Her eyes glazed over and focused on the porous, white cloth lining the sieve. As the water flowed through the mesh, the cloth slowly darkened as it captured rogue particles. She inadvertently targeted her mana sense on the mesh and observed as the cloth let some particles, smaller than its pores, through. Were they unimportant?

Capture, deposit, rinse, repeat.

The exercise in tedium continued for a while and Marie worked continuously, like a robot, without pause. Until suddenly, something sparked inside her. A faint idea, an inspiration, sprouted from the depths of her idle mind and started to surge outwards. Marie's listless eyes started to gain an inspired glitter, and her entire body started to shiver with excitement as she grasped the possibilities this new idea brought with it.

"I have to go!" Marie screamed and dashed out of the stream. She tossed the sieve on the grassy patch on the stream's bank and ran back to the orphanage.

Her feet carried her through the woods without stumbling or braking and deposited her in front of Teacher Larks' room once again. Unfortunately, today was an off-day, so she had no choice but to disturb Teacher Larks in his free time. She took a deep breath and prepared to knock.

"Come in," Teacher Larks beckoned before her knuckles could contact the door.

Marie entered excitedly and vocalised her earlier idea, "Filters! I can filter out the 'waves of fate' from my mana sense."

"Filter? How?" Markus replied.

"What are you doing here?" Marie retorted in surprise.

"Studying. Can't you see?" He said while nudging the book in front of him.

Marie squinted and then immediately shook her head to clear her distracting thoughts. She turned to Guy and repeated, "I figured out how to detect 'waves of fate'. And that is by filtering out all the other information that is received by a regular mana sense."

"How do you intend to do that?" Guy inquired with a pensive gaze.

Marie quirked the corners of her lips and said, "I am going to use what a regular person observes through their mana sense, and filter through it the information that I observe through my mana sense. What remains will be the 'waves of fate'."

"How will you do that?" Markus interjected.

"Absolutely not!" Guy declared immediately.

"B-But you haven't heard how I'm planning to do it," Marie reasoned.

"I know exactly how you intend to achieve this, and it is because of that that I am against it!" Guy reaffirmed. "You plan to have me |Soul Imprint| the information I receive through my mana sense to you while you are exercising your own mana sense, isn't that right?"

Marie's eyes widened in shock, "H-How?"

"I had the same idea yesterday night. There is a reason why I didn't bring it up with you this morning," Guy said. "Have you ever considered the ramifications of your own proposal?"

"I..." Marie stuttered. "That's the only option left!"

"It's too dangerous," Guy declared.

"Teacher Larks! Please," Marie pleaded. "This is the only way."

"How can you know that? You barely spent a day on this," Guy countered.

"If there is a solution, why must I flounder for alternatives? I can do this, please trust me Teacher Larks," Marie implored.

"Marie..."

"Master, if I may?" Markus interrupted. "I think you should let her go through with it."

"Markus!" Guy reprimanded. 

"She must have thought through it. Big Sis isn't someone who takes risky gambles. Master must know her character by now," Markus expounded.

"Markus. Have you ever used your mana sense without a specific target?"

"I... haven't..."

"You don't know just how excruciating it is. Even a fraction of a second worth of exposure can debilitate you," Guy added. "She's asking me to expose her to not one, but two superimposed mana senses!"

"I can do it!" Marie inserted. She immediately grabbed onto Guy's hand and hugged it tightly. "Please! Please please please please, pleeeeeaaase!" She wheedled with a pout.

Guy's lips twitched at the sight of Marie's forced "cute" expression. His eyes immediately locked on Markus who was forcing back laughter. Since it ran counter to Marie's character, her current appearance felt extremely jarring. It appeared as though she was copying what Dora would do when she would beg Guy to give her more comics to read.

"Please, Teacher Larks!" She begged.

Guy tried to avert his eyes from Marie's passionate pleas. But he wasn't someone who could turn down a student's heartfelt requests, especially Marie who was probably behaving like a child for the first time in her life.

"Fine..." Guy finally acquiesced, only to be immediately stamped with an innocent kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you!" Marie cried. But then her cloudy mind gained clarity and extreme horror grasped her as she immediately recognised what she had just done.