Private Hylands Ascent Braving the North with Meat and Metal

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki raised her eyebrows as MAI admitted that she could swim, which invalidated the idea that her body couldn't handle water. She wasn't exactly the most socially adept person around, and beyond that MAI's robotic behaviour made her difficult to read.

That said, if MAI could swim but still tried to argue against fishing the easiest interpretation was that she didn't want to, so Mizuki shrugged and moved on.

Well, we have enough rations that we don't need to fish for sustenance, so let's leave them be. (She glanced into the forest.) Same goes for hunting...

Aside from quests Mizuki dedicated the majority of her time in this world to hunting, so figuring out what to do when neither of those options was available was a bit of a challenge.

That's good. (She sniffed the air.) I can't really detect mana like that, but it doesn't surprise me that the Hylands would have a mana-rich atmosphere, given all the things that live here. (A frown crossed her face. Although fortunately not like Norfova...

The Bloodstar had fallen after the Day of Disappearance, so Mizuki didn't actually know anything about that disaster beyond what was common knowledge. Shaking her head she curled her tail upwards and moved it from side to side.

Well, if you want some extra mana you know where to get it. For now though... (She paused.) Maybe we can just talk for a little bit. My packmates can't exactly hold long conversations, so I'm not used to having a conversation partner.

Awkward as she was she still tried her best to persevere. The irony of the situation was not lost on her, although it wasn't like anybody else would know about that.

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

It was pretty natural that they came equipped; they kinda had to with the journey being the way that it was. Well, on top of that, MAI also always kept reserve food in her inventory to ensure that none of her important meters ever got too low. Thus, having to hunt for food in any way was simply not needed. That said...

"Explanation - Many places in this world are rich in mana; however, the larger the population density, the more it becomes distributed, and the less is left for absorption."

That was more or less it. Since not many people were willing to make the climb to this place, there was far more mana left for those who did. And, of course, only magia would want to make use of the excess anyhow. As things stood right now, unless she had to engage in combat, she probably would not even have to find a manastone to rest at.

In other words, they did have to find something to occupy their time before the night's sky would show up. Surprisingly, Mizuki suggested that they simply talk. MAI certainly wasn't against that, though she wasn't sure where to begin.

"Acknowledged - This unit will attempt to be a capable conversation partner if there are any topics that the Starcalled Mizuki wants to broach."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

That suggests that magia are most comfortable in places with few people around... or at least few magia. (She looked towards the lake.) Or maybe it's not much different from how there's an upper limit to how many people an area can support, but based on mana instead of food.

Part of being a hunter was paying attention to such things as the environment and the ecosystem: you needed to know what prey could be found in what locations, and which prey to focus on based on which were abundant and which were scarce. Magia kind of did their own thing with their need for mana, but the principles could still be similar.

Shaking her head the caenis tried to not let her thoughts get carried away, instead keeping her attention on MAI.

I'm guessing it also means that you're more comfortable in places with less people? Or at least, you don't have to worry as much about becoming mana-starved.

She tilted her head at MAI's interesting choice of words regarding being a conversation partner, then let out an amused chuckle.

I'm not really the best conversationalist either, but I'll try my best.

Looking up at the skies she went through possible topics in her head. Just starting a conversation out of nowhere wasn't exactly a skill she was well-trained in, and she wasn't sure what topics would be good and which would just be awkward. Eventually she turned her moon-eyes back towards MAI as she settled for something relevant to their current expedition.

So, what got you interested in astronomy?

@MAI

 

[MAI]

‎

It was, in its own way, quite intriguing to watch and listen to Mizuki. The Starcalled Caenis was, despite it not being necessary to her own survival, trying to fully understand the intricacies of what Magia needed, or at least desired in terms of recharging, and generally, living on. While it was appreciated, however, MAI didn't want to instill any potential misunderstandings.

"Review - In a practical sense, the number of people occupying any given space is supposed to be unlikely to decrease or increase the amount of mana available to a magia unless these hypothetical individuals are actively using this resource up."

In other words, people ambiently absorbing mana would have such a small impact on a recharging Magia that it would be statistically irrelevant.

"Acknowledged - This Unit, however, does prefer areas with fewer individuals, both of Lander origin, and Starcalled origin."

She was just an introvert was all, though. That much didn't change between this digital world, and the physical one. And, in an amusing turn of events, her forcibly acquired quirk of mechanical speech was something that helped her overcome her introverted nature at least somewhat. No matter how much she bungled the things she thought she was saying, it was all automatically translated into that robotic, monotonous speech. It was perhaps a miracle that the Caenis was truly interested in a conversation.

"Information - This Unit has always been fascinated by the seemingly impossible nature of the Universe and all that exists within. This Unit believes that much like the depths of the oceans, space is a frontier worthy of exploration. The field of Astronomy, therefore, lies in the range of subjects of interest to this Unit."

@Ueno Mizuki