“No… It’s… That practice is taboo where we come from…”
“Taboo?”
“Yes. It’s forbidden to take a lethal amount of mana from another witch. It would concentrate too much power into one individual and upset the balance.”
“Upset the…? My apologies, I know nothing of what stands as common knowledge in the Forbidden Land. Why is it wrong to upset the balance?”
“Because the drive for power leads to war.”
“But when only one person is left standing, then surely all that remains is peace?”
“Maybe, as long as that person never dies.”
“Ah…!” Danna Ryl clapped her hands. “I see! Death is a troublesome thing, it’s true. Mana resides in the flesh, so when someone dies, all that precious mana they’ve collected is lost.”
“You’ve been alive for over five hundred years now, right…?”
“Yes─though this body is my third.”
“Huh?! You mean this won’t be the first time?!”
“It is more efficient to prepare a vessel than to expend mana maintaining one’s physical form. Soon it will be ten years since I came into this body, so in five more it will be time for a change.”
Danna Ryl showed no sign she was surprised by Hort’s understanding of the “vessel” process. Hort didn’t know if that was because she figured Har Bell had already told her, or if it was just assumed to be common knowledge─but she imagined it was the latter.
“When I create a vessel, my soul is split in two─but by switching bodies through the rite of rebirth and absorbing the mana contained within the old flesh, soul and all, I become whole again.” Danna Ryl brought a hand to her chest. “When that happens, the thoughts and feelings from my time as the vessel enter me as well. I feel so happy and content─it is as if I have lived many childhoods. My present vessel is especially energetic and full of curiosity, so I’m very much looking forward to becoming one with her.”
“But…now that you have our mana potions, you won’t need to use vessels anymore, right…?”
“Death comes for us all in the end. Even with an abundance of mana and a body that never ages, one still might die in a sudden accident someday.”
“Well, yes… That’s true…”
“Some wizards who have lived since ancient days raise their vessels to a certain age and then freeze them. Though I wish for my vessel to enjoy her life until the day comes.”
Hort could feel the affection in the other’s voice─whether she wanted to or not. Danna Ryl’s incomprehensible value system made Hort sick to her stomach, but she couldn’t find it in herself to condemn it as evil.
Plus, Danna Ryl says she keeps the memories of her vessels… That they’re happy memories for her, even. My outside perspective is just totally meaningless here.
“…Um, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, anything you like.”
“When you take mana from a Nurabehn, what happens to their memories?”
Danna Ryl gave a light, innocent laugh. “Well, Nurabehn don’t have souls, you see.”
“D-Don’t have…souls…?”
“That’s right… Oh, but please don’t misunderstand. Anyone capable of riding a dragon or brewing mana potions must surely have a soul. I therefore think the people of the Forbidden Land simply look like our Nurabehn, but are in fact different beings entirely.”
“I don’t─”
Danna Ryl clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh dear, oh dear. I shouldn’t be saying such things─not when you so kindly expressed an interest in taking our Nurabehn as laborers. Please, don’t let this affect your opinion of them. I will choose the most suitable workers and have them brought to you at once.”
“Oh, we’ll do that ourselves…! We want to find people who are actively interested in joining us. Enthusiasm is the most important thing in a worker!” Hort stopped herself, coming to a sudden realization. “Umm─that big door that the merchants have been coming in and out of… It connects to other towns? Or even…other countries?”
“That’s right.”
“Could we put out a call for applicants in those places as well?”
“Yes, yes. We could indeed. It’s just that─” Danna Ryl stopped short.
“Grand Magister?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I will make the arrangements at once. I’m sure there will be an overwhelming number of applicants, however… And you have but one vessel, I believe? We could prepare additional ships for you, if that would suit.”
“Definitely! That would be a huge help!”
“The ships we can provide at a discount, of course. After all, the more Nurabehn you take, the better this exchange becomes for us.”
That’s so repulsive, it was almost refreshing. I feel like I deserve a medal for not throwing up on the spot.
Hort found herself looking up at the sky. Maybe people just want to see a dragon in flight at times like these.
“…Huh? The Dragon Conqueror King’s trying to say something…?”
There was no way they’d be able to hear his voice, but Ghoda was leaning out over Heath’s side and gesturing down at the people on the ground, clearly trying to get something across. Hort looked around and saw that the rest of the delegation, who had already noticed, were frantically running this way and that.
“What’s the matter?” asked Danna Ryl.
“I don’t know, but…I think the dragon has seen something.”
Even as Hort said this, the dragon swung about in a wide circle and soared away from the tower square.
“Hort! There’s a monster outside the city!”
At Kudo’s cry, Hort finally got some kind of grip on the situation.
“Wh-What do you mean, a monster?!” Hort turned to look at Danna Ryl.
“I do not know,” she replied calmly. “All sorts of things appear outside the walls.”
“A…And you still let people live out there?!”
“The Nurabehn settle there entirely of their own accord. Do not worry. No matter what it is, it won’t be able to penetrate the walls of this city.”
I’m not getting through to her. “I’m going to save them! Those people are our merchandise!” Hort cried, and took off running.
Only then did Danna Ryl clap her hands and murmur, “Oh dear…! We must protect the cargo.”