A few hours earlier…
"Aria, how are you doing?"
At one of the many auxiliary shrines set up around the Otoan capital, priestess squad leader Calica had entered the channeling room to check on her subordinates. There were two other priestesses present in the room. Aria, the one the squad leader Calica was addressing, and Jayce, Aria's partner.
"I'm fine. I can keep going," Aria said.
The priestesses worked in duos to supply mana to the great barrier over the capital, but since there was no need to work at full output while they were waiting for the attack, each priestess's partner watched from the side. They were to treat it as if they were still working, and they needed to be ready to jump in at a moment's notice.
Squad leader Calica looked at her subordinate, her ears and tails twitching in appraisal before she shook her head.
