The knights could not understand the anxiety that rose in Siverly's chest as his boat was pushed away from the shore, seemingly effortlessly, but using much of the mage's focus to direct his mana backwards.
He knew that the knights he spent most of his time with thought he was strange. He was studious, a bit standoffish, and not the friendliest person alive, but where he was going, the mages there were far worse. It was a big reason why he left in the first place, unable to stand the rule-following, quill-pushers who would never bend rules or be a bit more curious than what was acceptable.
A mage's entire purpose was to learn how to master their mana and seek knowledge, but none of the ones who remained on the island were willing to experiment with their environment or those around them. They let their physical forms waste away while completely relying on mana since enrichment of the mind was more important than enrichment of the body, at least to them.
