Headed by a Snake

"Senior Librarian... Master Eugenios..." Diantha had materialized her mana, and it took the form of a flat, wispy rectangle, glowing silver in her hand. It was enough... but Tycondrius would have far preferred if she had two or three cards, instead of just one.

The Acolyte's bottom lip quivered as she bowed her head in shame, "My mana only amounts to this much."

Adept Eugenios returned the bow, "Trust in your heart, young Diantha. We shall do all that we can to assist you."

"Well spoken, Brother-Adept," Zenon gave Diantha a reassuring smile, "All we can do is follow the path laid out for us, child. Do your best. Your seniors are here to guide you."

"Trust... The path..." Diantha furrowed her brows, thinking deeply upon her situation. "Of course... The Flame lights my path. All I need to do is have faith."

As Tycondrius approached, he sensed the girl's mana spike and stabilize. The silvery card in her hands glowed brighter, its edges growing sharp and defined. Both Centurion Zenon and Adept Eugenios shared a look of pleasant surprise.

Acolyte Diantha had undergone a minor breakthrough. If she survived the dungeon, it wouldn't be impossible for her to reach Second-Circle within a year or so.

"Brother-Tycon," Zenon waved in greeting. "I will assist with the channeling."

"No, you will not." Tycon refused him outright, "As I said before, if you expend your mana and concentration here, we will be disadvantaged in the near future."

"Tycon... Let me do this," Zenon insisted.

The Centurion's expression betrayed that he knew what was right. It was emotion and not logic that guided his stubbornness.

"Brother-Zenon..." Tycon frowned, "The situation remains precarious. It would better behoove our cause if you were to instead watch over Mister Karodin."

"Brother-Librarian, the Tactician is right," Eugenios smiled sheepishly, "Allow Diantha and this old man to do our part."

Zenon shut his eyes, a deep grimace set below his mustache... "Very well."

No longer hesitating, the Librarian turned and ran towards Karodin. With Zenon supporting the shield-bearing Legionnaire with both offensive and defensive spells, Tycon and the others would be afforded the time needed.

Tycon briefly explained to the Acolyte and Adept pair what needed to be done. Unfortunately, even after the young Diantha's breakthrough, a glazed look of uncertainty remained in her eyes.

Uncertainty led to failure.

Tycon lamented that he could not do everything himself. The first two seals were completed without much difficulty. The raw magic power from several participating mages was enough to channel mindlessly, forcing the formation's reactivation. Unfortunately, even with all of Tycon's knowledge, his own magical power amounted to less than that of a First-Circle Acolyte.

With Diantha, Tycon chose to idiot-proof the process. He re-explained the spell formation in greater detail, walking her though each step. He traced the logical lines of power and mapped out their relations to each of the formation's three parts. He asked active questions throughout, making absolutely certain she understood.

The more familiar she was with the ritual, the more efficient her mana would transfer. This was the way the objective would be completed with a Bronze-Rank Acolyte and half-an-Iron-Rank Adept.

With a semblance of confidence instilled into the young Diantha, she placed her flat, rectangular mana-focus onto the stone ritual circle, beginning its reactivation.

Her mana flowed freely and without reservation. That was good.

Still, the formation was essentially Fourth-Circle, far beyond the ken of her abilities. It was logical for her to encounter difficulty. That she was not was... worrisome.

Tycon turned to the young lady's senior. Sweat dripped down Adept Eugenios' wrinkled face, his expression strained.

Stars and stones...

The old man's mana reserves were too low to directly charge the formation, that much was certain. However, it seemed he had taken it upon himself to correct, stabilize, and funnel Diantha's magic power.

It was an unintended effect from Tycon's detailed explanations. Likening Acolyte Diantha's tribulations to being in a hedge maze carrying a barrel of water... it was like Adept Eugenios had a map and was running alongside and ahead of her to prevent her from going down wasteful paths.

Tycon had the assistance of his System for complex magical calculations to perfectly determine what would usually take weeks, months, or longer. He could not carry a barrel of mana, but he knew the multi-layered hedge maze intimately. The guidance he could provide Diantha was nothing short of perfect.

Adept Eugenios did not have that advantage. His map was not as comprehensive and he'd have to fumble around the hedge maze himself. He risked pitfalls and traps and he even had to carefully carry his own smaller barrel, preventing his mana from spilling out. The mental power he had to expend in order to do so was astounding.

The old man was already suffering mana fatigue. Following this, he would certainly suffer mana exhaustion. It wasn't impossible for him to become imbecilic, his mind broken... lost in the hedge maze, forever.

Tycon was not going to stop him. Interrupting Eugenios' struggles risked a severe magical backlash with undoubtedly catastrophic effects for everyone involved. That... and his selflessness greatly increased the chances of Diantha's success.

"Stabilize the mana going to the fourth line in the second quadrant. Fill the middle circle steadily-- the formation is already drawn, you don't need to force it."

Tycon continued to calmly guide Diantha. He couldn't complete the objective by himself. It was foolish to try to stop Eugenios. He was unwilling to utilize Zenon. His best option was to continue pushing the young lady to her limits.

The girl was... remarkably similar to Athena, if not by appearance. Their ages were similar. Most everyone she was initially relying on had been killed by monsters. She did not question her duty. She held onto what confidence she could. She was clearly trying her best.

Tycon loathed the fact that he had to ask the young Acolyte to shoulder such an important task. If she failed, the Brazen Guard would have to sound the retreat, which would result in even more casualties. Even if she succeeded, it would not return her dead companions to life. The pressure was immense for a single teenage girl.

If she was Athena, Tycon would have immediately taken her from this place.

She was not.

Tycon would ensure she completed her mission, even if she had to sacrifice herself in doing so.