Divine Drops in the Life Water Deal
That evening, as the view outside the window grew dim, a servant came to announce dinner. It was served in the same dining hall as yesterday. Just like before, there were heavily spiced meats and thick cheeses, but this time the varieties were even more diverse.
Different from yesterday.
Fish dishes I'd never seen before, rich paste spread on soft bread, tangy pickled fruits. I took a bite of each.
Whoa, everything's delicious!
While eating, I glanced around. Everyone seemed more relaxed than yesterday.
They're all getting used to it.
Midway through the meal, Rianndrea spoke up from beside me.
"How do you find tonight's food?"
"Yeah, it's even better than yesterday. Especially this fish."
"I'm glad to hear that. Since you said it suited your taste yesterday, we prepared a few more in a similar vein."
"That's why there's so much variety."
Rianndrea gave a light smile. Toward the end of the dinner, Kaelion spoke.
"Nox. Tomorrow, we plan to conduct the life water trade with the delegation. If you're interested, it might be good to observe— what do you say?"
Life water.
"Yeah, I'll go."
"Then I'll send a servant tomorrow morning."
The dinner wrapped up. When I returned to my room, it was completely dark outside. I flopped straight onto the bed. My back sank deep into the soft sheets. My eyelids grew heavy.
The next morning. After breakfast, I was sipping tea in my room when the servant entered.
"Nox. The life water trade is about to begin. His Majesty requests your presence."
"Yeah, let's go."
The servant led me to the depths of the palace, in front of stairs descending underground. Kaelion took the lead, and I followed. Valter and some of the delegation, along with three beast contractors, were with us. Rianndrea and Kaiel trailed a step behind.
The stairs were long, and the air grew cooler as we descended. A refreshing scent wafted up between the stone walls, tickling my nose.
...This smell.
It was the World Tree's scent. Similar to what I'd always smelled in the nest's pools, but far richer and deeper. It must intensify closer to the roots.
At the bottom of the stairs, a vast chamber opened up. The ceiling was high. A thick World Tree root descended from above, dominating the center of the space. It was so massive that several adults holding hands couldn't encircle it. Transparent sap dripped slowly from the root's tip, one drop at a time. A large crystal bowl caught it below, already holding a fair amount.
So this is life water.
As I approached, my core began to react. It was condensed World Tree magic. The energy felt like what I'd sensed in the nest or the four kings' domains.
"Nox."
Kaelion spoke from beside me.
"This is the life water. Sap that flows directly from the World Tree root, condensed with the tree's magic. The annual yield is limited, so trade quantities are always restricted."
"One drop at a time— yeah, it's precious stuff."
Kaelion hesitated briefly before adding,
"...Please refrain from touching it directly. It reacts even to small amounts of magic."
Oh, got it. No touching, easy.
Two elf servants approached the bowl to conduct the trade. They scooped the life water into small crystal vials, transferred it to glass bottles, weighed them, and sealed the caps. Valter watched the scene intently. His gaze lingered on the bowl. Even for an imperial duke, a single drop of this sap held great meaning.
When the bottles were about half-filled, I drew closer to the bowl. Up close, faint golden particles rose from the depths, shimmering before vanishing. Curiosity got the better of me, and I dipped a fingertip in. It was lukewarm.
My core pulsed sharply.
...Huh?
This sensation was familiar. Identical to what I'd felt at the four kings' domain center. My core resonated with the life water. Magic flowed from my fingertip into the liquid before I could stop it.
Wait, wait, hold on.
The surface glowed in an instant. Pale gold spread from the edges to the center, making the entire bowl undulate softly. The air in the chamber trembled once. A familiar energy slowly permeated the whole underground space.
...Did I just declare a domain?
Kaelion froze in place. His mouth hung half-open, unable to close. Valter's gaze snapped toward me.
"Nox!"
Kaelion's voice was higher than usual.
"What have you done? I explicitly told you not to touch it."
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to. I just touched it, and my core reacted on its own."
Kaelion pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed deeply.
"......"
"Hmm, looks like a domain declaration happened. Want me to undo it?"
"......Please stop. Even attempting to release it is dangerous."
Kaelion steadied his breathing and glanced at Valter. After a brief silence, Valter composed his stiffened expression and gestured curtly to the delegation behind.
"Mages' Guild— analyze it."
Two mages stepped forward quickly from the back. They were Valter's accompanying mages.
"Your Majesty. We'd like to check the life water's changes. Even a rough analysis would suffice— may we have your permission?"
"......Proceed."
Kaelion replied curtly. The two mages approached the bowl and began measurements. As they brought their instruments near the surface, the tips quivered faintly, reflecting the pale gold. They scribbled rapidly on scrolls. Their expressions grew increasingly grave.
I watched from a step back.
What's going on?
After a while of measuring and exchanging notes, the mages reported quietly to Valter.
"Your Grace. It's a rough analysis, so precise figures are hard to give, but... the magic density is clearly higher than previous measurements. At least 1.5 times greater."
"......1.5 times."
"Yes. We can't be certain without full analysis, but it's definitely enhanced."
Valter inhaled sharply. He eyed the bowl, Kaelion, and me in turn. His face showed thoughts racing.
Finally, Valter stepped forward and bowed briefly to Kaelion.
"Your Majesty. The rough analysis shows the life water's effects are markedly improved. However, since this stems from the Divine Beast's unintended influence, we request the originally agreed quantity proceed as planned. Other matters can be discussed later."
Kaelion had regained some composure. He steadied his breath and replied,
"......Agreed. We'll complete this trade as scheduled, and address other issues through formal diplomatic channels after the delegation returns to the Empire."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Valter bowed once more. Kaelion glanced at me.
"Nox. Shall we continue the trade?"
"Yeah, sure."
Kaelion signaled the head servant, who instructed the two servants to resume. They proceeded, but their movements were far more cautious now than at the start. I stepped back and watched.
Well, it got better, right?
I shook the moisture from my fingertip onto the floor.
Good enough.
Lukart von Rosenberg pretended to straighten his coat near his luggage. The others hadn't grasped the significance of what they'd just seen. The two mages were still poring over their analysis results. But Lukart was different. He'd kept his eyes fixed on the Divine Beast from start to finish.
The Divine Beast's magic had deeply infused the life water. Not just in the bowl— the drops flicked onto the floor would hold the same power.
Lukart's gaze fell on two droplets on the stone floor. Faint golden particles floated silently within.
...I need to collect them.
The atmosphere was chaotic. Everyone's attention was on Duke Valter and King Kaelion's negotiation. The servants were busy reorganizing the trade.
Lukart stood with his luggage, feigning a slight stumble. His coat flap fluttered to the side. In that pose, he shifted one step sideways as if regaining balance— right next to the droplets.
He gathered a thread of magic at his fingertip. The Great Owl's power. He could summon a tiny, silent breeze.
A small glass vial was already palmed inside his hand. He tilted the opening toward the floor. A faint wind flowed from his fingertip, enveloping the droplets and drawing them into the vial.
One breath. He capped it discreetly in his palm and slipped it into his coat's inner pocket. He straightened up and lifted his luggage. The others were still focused on Valter. The two servants remained by the bowl but didn't glance this way.
...Done.
Lukart rejoined the group. His expression showed no change— just the tense face of any delegation member before the Divine Beast.
The remaining trade proceeded amid the lingering chaos. The filled bottles were organized and handed to the delegation. Valter expressed brief thanks to Kaelion, who replied in kind. Their conversation had returned to its diplomatic polish.
The tension in the chamber eased. Everyone gathered their things and headed for the stairs. I followed up the stairs behind them.
When we emerged from the underground into sunlight again, Kaelion paused and looked my way.
"Nox. The delegation will stay a few more days. They'll depart once preparations are complete, so please— no major incidents in the meantime."
"Yeah, got it."
Kaelion bowed briefly and resumed walking. The sunlight felt warm.
Today was kinda noisy.
But it was fun in its own way. Another domain added, and I got to see the humans' reactions. I'd hang around a few more days, then head back to the nest.