Where to get the mana source? (Patreon)

As a recap, these were some suggested sources of death mana for Malachi:

Kene - Finding something in the forest, since they often have old bones or dead trees, both of which could fall in the needed range.

Alvaro - Books are made of dead paper, so they tend to accumulate death energy, which means that libraries tend to have a surprisingly high number of death magic sources

Ivy - Marshdrops are a semi-common source of death mana that can be found in and around swamps.

Some things to consider: Kene comes with alchemy and magical plant options (either cuttings his own, or ones gathered in the forest), while Alvaro comes with potential increases in library reputation and furthering that path. 

Ivy is less obvious, but Teffordshire is the enchanting capital of Mossford, where most of their enchanting forges and factories are, and Ivy's parents are enchanters. 

(I'll also note: They would be looking for Marshdrops in a marsh, they may find some plants, but without Kene, Malachi is more limited to just identifying ones with strong mana, not nessecarily ones used in alchemy)