The High Priest's Origin
The High Priest witnessing the incident was High Priest Arkanos of the Kingdom of Ithildor, one of the seven great kingdoms renowned for its magical and healing abilities. Ithildor, perched on high plains with towering magical spires, is revered as a center of magical learning.
High Priest Arkanos's Reaction
As High Priest Arkanos observed the scene from a distance, his brow furrowed in concern as he scrutinized Bramir's reckless behavior. Internally, he felt a mix of surprise and confusion at the sight of the drunken mage's actions.
High Priest Arkanos (thinking to himself): "What could that foolish drunkard be thinking? Using fire magic near a child… How reckless and dangerous. He has truly overstepped his bounds."
Quickly, Arkanos approached Mira and the unconscious Izzan on the ground. With a calm and authoritative voice, he offered his assistance.
High Priest Arkanos (gently): "Mrs. Elric, allow me to assist. I am a healer from the Kingdom of Ithildor, and I can ensure your son is alright."
Mira, still worried, looked at Arkanos with hopeful eyes and nodded in agreement.
Mira Elric (anxiously): "Please, High Priest Arkanos. I am very concerned about Izzan."
Arkanos Treating Izzan
Arkanos knelt beside Izzan and began chanting a healing spell softly. He placed his hands over Izzan, emitting a soft green light typically used for healing wounds and exhaustion. However, as time passed, he started to sense something unusual.
High Priest Arkanos (thinking to himself, surprised): "This... this is mana exhaustion. But that's impossible... How could a three-year-old child deplete their mana? Perhaps I am overreacting; this child must be simply too weak."
Despite dismissing his suspicion, Arkanos noticed that his healing wasn't yielding the expected results. Izzan remained unconscious. With vigilance, Arkanos decided to perform a rare action—transferring a bit of his own mana to fill the void and check more deeply if Izzan had a mana circle.
Athena's Reaction
Inside Izzan's mind, Athena sensed the external intervention and quickly sprang into action. Her automatic defense system activated, absorbing the mana transferred by Arkanos and manipulating it very subtly.
Athena (in the system, speaking to herself): "Warning: External investigation attempt detected on subject's body. Activating defense protocol. Mana provided by external source will be absorbed and manipulated to conceal the presence of the subject's mana circle."
Athena carefully processed the mana received from Arkanos, causing it to seep out of Izzan's body as though it couldn't be absorbed properly. This way, Arkanos wouldn't suspect the presence of a mana circle within Izzan.
High Priest Arkanos (thinking to himself, puzzled): "Strange... The mana cannot be absorbed properly. Perhaps the child is too weak or something is obstructing it. I cannot detect the mana circle; maybe I am just overly concerned."
After a while, Arkanos withdrew his hand, masking his curiosity and confusion. He decided not to pursue further investigation at this time.
High Priest Arkanos (to Mira, calmly): "Izzan will be fine. He is merely exhausted. Ensure he gets proper rest, and he will recover on his own."
Mira sighed in relief, though her worry remained. She nodded and thanked Arkanos.
Mira Elric (sincerely): "Thank you, High Priest Arkanos. I deeply appreciate your help."
Arkanos nodded, then stood, ready to continue on his journey. However, in his mind, he still sensed something unusual about the child. But he chose not to dwell on it further, at least for the time being.