Ch.163Chapter 163 – Sea, Be Still (3)

Everyone was waiting for Amina to speak after she mentioned that something was wrong with the sea.

Amina, seemingly aware of this, continued her explanation after a brief silence.

“The Archipelago Federation is a nation formed by people who have lived alongside the sea for generations. Naturally, they have a much deeper understanding of the ocean than those from the mainland.”

“So, what do you mean by something being wrong with the sea?”

I quickly asked Amina about the sea before her explanation could drift to another topic.

“Ah, yes. We were talking about the sea. Hmm. The sea’s primary function is to absorb mana dispersed in the atmosphere and return it to the earth.”

“You mean it’s like a giant mana storage tank?”

“That’s a good analogy. It’s more like a temporary storage that holds mana before sending it elsewhere.”

“So, what’s the problem with the sea?”

Amina seemed slightly troubled by my question, but I am a Count of the Gelebrio Empire and an honored guest invited to the Liu Empire.

The others also nodded at my question, their gazes urging Amina to answer promptly.

“It would be quite lengthy to explain in detail, which is why I was hoping to discuss it later… but since you’re so eager to know, I suppose I have no choice.”

Amina took a deep breath before continuing her explanation.

“As I mentioned earlier, the sea absorbs and stores mana before returning it to the earth. The important thing to note is that the sea’s capacity to store mana isn’t infinite.”

“That’s nonsense. The sea is vast!”

“Yes, it is. However, the problem is that there’s more mana in the atmosphere than the sea can process.”

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t help but groan at Amina’s answer.

After all, it was because of my fixing the World Tree that it was now drawing up mana like crazy.

“But we find it strange too. This storm has occurred in the seas near the Liu Empire, where the atmospheric mana ratio is lower compared to other regions.”

“Are you saying that different sea regions have different atmospheric mana ratios?”

“Yes. But the numerical differences are very subtle. If we set the standard at 1000, the deficient areas would be around 990, and the abundant areas around 1010.”

According to Amina, the difference in atmospheric mana ratio was merely 1% in numerical terms.

“Are you saying that even such a small difference can cause weather phenomena?”

“In confined spaces, the impact would be minimal, but the sea is vast. What happens when the atmospheric mana ratio continuously rises across a space large enough to fit thousands of massive islands?”

Amina answered with a grave expression.

“A storm far more fierce than any ordinary magic could create would rage.”

“Exactly. The abnormally high atmospheric mana ratio forms a massive mana cluster, and the natural dissipation of this cluster results in storms accompanied by thunderclouds.”

I see. So in conclusion…

“Are you saying we can’t travel to the Liu Empire until this massive mana cluster dissipates?”

“That’s right. There are alternative routes, but currently, all of them fall within the storm’s domain.”

“Evidence?”

I asked Amina for proof of her claims, and she extended her right hand toward me, palm facing up.

A blue hologram appeared above her palm, revealing a wave-shaped emblem symbolizing the Archipelago Federation.

“This is a spell that any marine meteorologist can use. It visualizes the sea and weather conditions around the Archipelago Federation for direct observation.”

“What’s the name of this spell?”

“It’s called [Three-dimensional Visualization]. The formal name is longer, but this is what we use when introducing it to outsiders.”

I’ll just call it a hologram. It’s more intuitive that way.

Anyway, the blue hologram rising from Amina’s palm showed what appeared to be the sea between the Liu Empire and the Archipelago Federation.

[Severe thunderstorm in progress]

[Wind speed and direction abnormally strong]

[Current thunderstorm height: approximately 20 kilometers]

[Travel ban issued for the affected waters]

[Atmospheric mana ratio: 1300]

[Sea mana absorption rate: 0.5%]

“This… this is worse than I thought…”

Amina was shocked as she read the figures on the hologram.

I too could understand the severity of the situation from the displayed values.

According to Amina’s information, the standard atmospheric mana ratio is 1000, but it had exceeded that by 300.

But there was something strange.

‘Mana absorption rate at 0.5%?’

I’m not sure what the sea’s mana absorption rate means, but I suspect it’s relevant to the current situation.

“What does mana absorption rate mean?”

“The sea absorbs mana and sends it back into the ground. This rate indicates how much mana is dissolved in seawater during that process.”

Her explanation confirmed my suspicions.

A mana absorption rate of 0.5% essentially means that mana absorption is barely happening.

In other words, the cause of the atmospheric mana ratio rising to 1300 lies elsewhere.

“If the mana absorption rate is 0.5%, it means it’s barely absorbing anything. Doesn’t that suggest the cause of the rapid increase in atmospheric mana ratio is something else?”

“W-wait a moment! What do you mean?”

“The mana absorption rate is shown as 0.5%. Doesn’t that mean the cause of the rapid increase in atmospheric mana ratio must be elsewhere?”

“Ah!”

Amina seemed to realize something from my words and began manipulating the hologram.

She appeared to be searching for something.

After a few manipulations, the hologram displaying atmospheric conditions disappeared, replaced by one showing numerous moving red dots.

“What’s this?”

“This is a spell that tracks the mana possessed by living beings in the area. I can’t believe I overlooked something so simple. I’m such a fool.”

Amina said this while pointing to a large red dot floating in the air with her left hand.

“The larger the dot appears in this spell, the more mana the creature possesses.”

“As I suspected, the cause definitely lies elsewhere.”

Having discovered through Amina’s spell that there was a separate entity causing the storm in this region, we entered into a strategy meeting.

Well, I was essentially just attending the meeting, while the actual discussion was between the administrator and Amina.

“Lady Amina, if your theory is correct, there’s a separate cause for this storm?”

“Yes. However, I cannot determine what kind of creature it is. To find out, we would need to penetrate the storm…”

Amina’s voice trailed off, suggesting that penetrating the storm itself was a difficult task.

“Amina, according to you, if we manage to penetrate the storm, can we definitely identify the entity causing it?”

“Yes, I can guarantee that. Marine meteorologists of the Archipelago Federation are trained in everything that affects weather conditions.”

Then there’s only one solution.

“Good. Can you guide me to where the storm is raging?”

With my abilities, I could eliminate this abnormal, unseasonable storm.

I don’t know how long the effect would last, but it should buy enough time for the meteorologists to conduct their investigation.

Since the storm itself is ‘abnormal,’ created by this creature, I just need to ‘correct’ it to its normal state, right?

“Why would you suggest such a thing?”

Amina questioned me, and I carefully explained my thoughts to her.

“I see. Since the current storm is abnormal, you want to correct it to its normal state…”

Amina suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Count Severio, if your theory is correct, we might be able to resolve this anomaly.”

“However, even if the storm disappears, we can’t face that creature with our power alone.”

“Don’t worry. The Archipelago Federation has many of the strongest warriors who are seasoned in fighting on or under the sea.”