Chapter 12. Honor and Sacrifice (1)

Chapter 12. Honor and Sacrifice

In contrast to the reprimands Ria and I received, Gloria and Dabi were not called in separately.

They were foreigners in the first place, and moreover, royalty. Although I still don’t know Dabi’s exact identity, she was at least not someone the Nun Superior could say anything to.

It’s just that Gloria didn’t think of seeking refuge elsewhere and was staying at the convent. That’s all.

And despite being a guest, Gloria followed the convent’s rules quite diligently. Beautiful, a foreign princess, and a non-human being. Furthermore, she was polite, making Gloria quite popular within the convent.

Gloria acted as if she was accustomed to such popularity, and more importantly, the food at this convent seemed quite delicious. After all, the diet basically provided abundant vegetables and fruits.

Because of this, Gloria came out and swept the floor during the cleaning time.

“Hmm.”

While sweeping for a moment, Gloria paused her work as if she had suddenly thought of something and fell into thought.

“Anna.”

Then she called me, and I also paused my work for a moment and blinked.

Gloria… seemed to think of Ria and me as friends, but she didn’t talk to us very often. Rather, she seemed to be enjoying the silence at times like this.

Perhaps she liked this quiet atmosphere because she had lived among noisy nobles?

Well, she was talking to me like this now.

“Yes, Gloria.”

“Have I ever told you about Dabi?”

“No, hardly.”

All I knew about Dabi was that she was Gloria’s maid, and that there was a vast difference in status between them.

For the record, Dabi wasn’t here now. She was resting in her room because she had a fever after our last outing.

I think I forced her back into bed when Gloria went out.

“Shall I tell you?”

I glanced at Ria. Ria, who had been listening to our conversation, shrugged her shoulders. It seemed to mean ‘do as you please.’

“…If you want to, it’s okay.”

There might be a reason why she hadn’t told me until now.

Gloria hesitated for a moment and then finally spoke as if confiding in me.

“Dabi is a being in a somewhat special position within the Elf Kingdom. If you classify her as noble or commoner, she’s a commoner, but if you ask if she’s a commoner… perhaps she might not even be that.”

“Does that mean she’s below commoners?”

“That would depend on your perspective. It’s ambiguous if you ask whether she’s treated as a person, but she lives a much more affluent life than most commoners.”

Ria and I tilted our heads at the answer, which was like a riddle.

“Actually, I didn’t know Dabi was in such a position until we all went to the sea. I thought it might be possible, but I couldn’t be sure. Not until I saw that magic circle.”

“Ah.”

The magic circle that created that giant whirlpool on the sea. When Dabi summoned it, it appeared small, but when Gloria touched it and infused mana, it grew enormously.

“Although she’s called a ‘personal mage’ by reputation, most elf royalty doesn’t lag behind in skill or lack mana to the point where they need separate mages. Within elf royalty or noble society, a personal mage… means someone who assists the magic of those royalty or nobles.”

Gloria’s hands began to move again. Swish, swish, the sound of the broom sweeping the dry ground was heard.

“A personal mage sounds like a pretty high position.”

Isn’t that a bit contradictory to what you said about commoners earlier?

“More precisely, it’s a being meant to remember magic. Not just to remember it, but to engrave a magic circle within their mind and retrieve it when needed in any situation. In this world, it would be like a computer or a smartphone.”

“…”

“It takes a lot of money to create them, so they are high-value assets, but if they refuse at the moment they are needed, they are meaningless, so they are essentially trained like moving furniture. To do that, they usually take talented individuals from the commoners in their own territory.”

Ria’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Can’t scrolls be used instead?”

“Scrolls are consumables. Moreover, when the scale of the magic increases, the meaning of a scroll disappears. If there’s a lot of information, carrying and storing it is a problem, and most importantly, if someone else takes it, it’s like stealing magic. They can also be destroyed at the moment they are needed to process all that information at once. Yes, the term ‘personal mage’ is actually just a euphemism.”

“…”

Hmm.

This was something I had never read in the original work.

“Ah, but that doesn’t mean I’ve ever used such a being. To be honest, it doesn’t have a very good reputation. More importantly, if you’re confident in your magic, you should be able to use it yourself.”

Even just hearing the explanation makes one feel uncomfortable, so it’s understandable that opinions were divided among the elves. Even if they are commoners, nobles, or royalty, they are all elves.

“But Dabi…”

“That’s the thing, it’s a bit strange.”

Gloria said, narrowing her brow slightly.

“I thought anyone who followed me would definitely be from the royal family. Moreover, most of those in such… positions don’t even react to words unless they are from their master.”

“…”

“Of course, they also have magical restraints placed on them. Engraving magic into the mind is a painful process, and during that process, they become semi-forcibly obedient to their master. Since they are beings who use the mana of others, they can also absorb mana-based poisons…”

Gloria’s voice trailed off slightly.

I remembered when Gloria and her maid arrived. The maid’s condition was as critical as Gloria’s. Perhaps if the healing had been delayed even slightly, she might have died.

Perhaps in the original work, due to various factors, that maid, Dabi, couldn’t survive.

“I didn’t think my reputation was entirely bad, but who in the world would willingly become such a being to protect me? What does Dabi think of me that…”

I see.

The reason Gloria was telling us this was contained in that last sentence.

Indeed, Dabi tried to follow Gloria wherever she went. At the time, shortly after being treated, her physical condition was not good, and she often reacted with fear whenever people spoke to her, but after adapting somehow, she followed Gloria around.

However, even so, Gloria and Dabi didn’t seem very close. Although I often saw Gloria speak to Dabi first, and Dabi give short answers.

I just thought she was taciturn.

There was no one else around us.

Perhaps because I had seen me prophesying last time, they seemed to stay away, not daring to approach us, so there was no way they could have heard the hushed conversation.

Gloria must have known that too.

And, the fact that Dabi wasn’t next to us was probably one of the reasons considered.

Ria and I exchanged glances.

I pondered how to interpret this story and act, but I couldn’t properly judge.

It was a realm I knew nothing about.

*

“Dabi, are you feeling a bit better?”

I was a nun, and my biological knowledge was actually only what I had learned in high school.

However, holy power heals people without needing to know such structures. It’s an incredibly overpowered ability in many ways. I understand why medical professionals were terrified when stories about this power spread over a decade ago.

And because I was the one with the strongest holy power, the story of caring for the health of a fellow nun also made sense.

The room where Gloria and Dabi were staying together.

Ria and I were inside it.

“…Yes, I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine at all.”

Her face was still pale.

It’s understandable that Gloria was worried.

Gloria herself had never used such a being, so she wouldn’t have known how the other party would be after using magic. In the first place, those who use such beings probably wouldn’t bother thinking about the state of the other party after using magic.

“If you’re really struggling, I can use my holy power.”

As soon as I said that, Dabi’s expression became wary.

Perhaps that ability is also related to mana. Well, since her profession is using magic, it’s hard to say it’s unrelated.

The reason I didn’t use my ability for a long time after healing was probably because all the mana in my body had been drained by my holy power.

“…Is that so.”

I didn’t insist further.

Feeling like the other party might feel burdened if I stayed any longer, I quietly went out of the room with Ria.

Gloria was waiting there.

“She doesn’t want to receive holy power.”

“I see.”

Gloria let out a small sigh.

“For now… I understand. It seems best to watch her for a few more days. Thank you for your concern.”

“No, I just did what I had to do.”

I want to help, but honestly, I don’t know how.

Watching Gloria go back into the room, I let out a small sigh.