“You haven’t,” Hort said, “but… Oh! I guess maybe we never told Har Bell about everyone’s other names! Plus, nobody calls you that.”
“Right, makes sense… And since I’m a Nurabehn, you didn’t give me a chance to introduce myself. It’s a little late for this, but I’m Saybil, the Abyss Sorcerer. Professor Zero gave me that name, incidentally, and she’s the Mud-Black Witch. Professor Los is called the Dawn Witch.”
“I-I see… I had some vague notion that ‘Mud-Black’ and ‘Dawn’ might be job titles or something…”
It really was a little late for introductions.
Har Bell looked over at Hort with a start. “Then, do you have another name, too?”
“Huh? I don’t think I’ve got one yet, but…”
“What about Calvacatena?” asked Saybil.
Hort frowned. “That’s not exactly me, it’s more the name of my unit…”
“Unit… Oh, right… You lead a unit of mages, don’t you.” Har Bell had taken it as a given that, with her antlers, Hort was a powerful authority figure. Only now did it click that Hort had risen to her position on the strength of her own abilities, and that she just happened to have antlers in the bargain. “So then…” She turned to Saybil. “You’re the Nurab─my apologies, the person who creates the mana potions.”
“I am, yes. Oh, but I can only make mana potions, not magic potions. I’m really bad at magic… So I’m interested in the wizard phials you make. There’s so much I want to ask you, about that and about the New World.”
“Of course! Go ahead, I’ll tell you everything I know!”
Everything was going so well.
Har Bell got on her two-wheeled wizard carriage and left the harbor, heading toward the tower in the center of town. Danna Ryl had summoned her─evidently there was something the Grand Magister wanted to tell her. Once this errand was accomplished, she would head home and help her family pack for the Forbidden Land.
Har Bell drove up the main thoroughfare, parked her vehicle at the turnaround, and walked across the square to the tower. She found Danna Ryl waiting for her in the audience chamber, sitting comfortably on her high seat. Beside her stood a thin man with the twisted horns of a goat sprouting from his head. Har Bell frowned─he was a “key” from one of the other towers. There was something about the horizontal slits of his pupils that she didn’t like.
“I was not aware that Grand Magister Zaza Ryl of the Twisted Horns was here. Please forgive my impudent intrusion, it was presumptuous of me. I will return at a later time.”
“No, no, I have been waiting for you,” said Danna Ryl. “Now then, Har Bell, approach. I have wonderful news.”
“As you wish.”
When an Exinov said “come,” an Ignas did not hesitate. Har Bell walked up and knelt before Danna Ryl. The Grand Magister wasted no time.
“Your family─there was your father, mother, and three younger brothers, if I’m not mistaken?”
“Yes.”
“And I assume the others told you it was I who received your father?”
“Yes.”
“I am truly, truly grateful. Having consumed a member of your family, you too are like family to me now. Consequently, I have decided to grant your mother and younger brother the honor of serving here in the tower.”
Har Bell raised her head. A servant in the tower was the highest position any Nurabehn could aspire to. It also meant they would be granted a home within the city walls, so she would be able to live together with her family. Just a few days earlier, Har Bell’s heart would’ve been fit to burst at such an honor. But now she couldn’t even force her face into the proper expression of gratitude.
“You have Zaza to thank for this. He said it wouldn’t do to simply hand over some material reward when I’d eaten the family of the one who brought salvation to our world.”
“Not at all…! I’m sure my father could think of no greater honor than being of use to you, my lady. And please, think no more of my remaining family members. Shameful as this is to admit, my brother is ill-mannered and my mother does not have the strength to work. They are but poor and stunted Nurabehn, my lady, not fit to so much as grovel in your presence.”
“Oh, that’s quite all right. It will be in name only.” Danna Ryl smiled. “It is a pretext to allow the two of them to live inside the city walls. As servants of the tower, I will be the one assigning their tasks. And as such, I will order them to protect the house of Har Bell, and nothing more. You see? This solves everything. A wonderful proposal, don’t you agree?”
“…Surely you don’t mean to imply that this makes you unhappy, Har Bell?” asked Zaza Ryl in an intimidating voice, at which the Ignas lowered her gaze once more. “You didn’t, for instance, find yourself taken with the Forbidden Land…? You would never dream of betraying the Keybinder and becoming one of them, now would you?”
“I tremble at the very thought.”
“Then you will swear yourself to this land that has raised you.”
“Of course.”
“In that case, accept the Keybinder’s favor.”
Har Bell’s eyes were glued to the floor. A single sheet of paper slid into her field of vision.
“That is a blood contract, something the Exinov use when we make promises that must never be broken. Danna’s name is already written there, signed in her own blood. It states that your family will be appointed to work as servants of the tower in recompense for your loyalty.”
“Yes. Yes it does.” Danna Ryl picked it up from there. “You can impose this unbreakable promise on me, Har Bell, in return for nothing more than what you have already given. This is what I offer you for saving our world.”
Maybe there’s something wrong with me. But, I saved the world, and in return I get to trade my loyalty for menial employment for my family─all I can think is, are you fucking kidding me?
Surely that thought is proof that something’s broken inside me.
No.
No, no.
Har Bell raised her eyes and, picking up the blood contract, got to her feet.
“…Har Bell?”
She ripped the contract to shreds and let the pieces fall to the ground. Danna Ryl and Zaza Ryl went pale and simply stared at her, speechless.
“Respectfully, I decline. I will take my family to the Forbidden Land,” Har Bell said in a cheery voice.
She left the tower then, her long strides turning first to a trot and then a sprint, until she sprang onto her two-wheeler and was off.
Ahh─freedom!