Head Sage Yue was the first one to recover his wits. He released the two children and one tiger cub, and cleared his throat. His pale face was flushed with embarrassment, but his heart was warm.
"All right, then, we should gather the metal you need now," he said quietly.
Mana and Raven quickly wiped their faces and nodded.
Mana went to the leader of the mercenary team, and a few minutes later, five of the mercenaries dived into the lake.
The first one to surface held up a small stone, about half the size of Vyom's paw. The man swam to the shore quickly, where Mana and Raven were waiting.
"Princess Mana, this stone is very heavy," the man said as he climbed out of the water and dried himself with a spell. "Be careful when you hold it." He handed the stone to Mana.
Mana took the stone and frowned. "This is too heavy for its size," she murmured. "It's even heavier than solid gold, and it's rippling with magical energy."
