Chapter 77

The three cats rolled their eyes, looking at him as though he had asked something absurd.

「Witches resided here long before humans ever set foot in this region. Mountains and lakes surrounded the land, and only beasts and spirits passed through.」

「The lake on new-moon nights was especially fine. Even the venerable elder witches often visited to draw its vital essence.」

「Haylen was one of the few places in the human world overflowing with life force. Then humans arrived with swords and spears, settling the land and driving most of us beyond the mountains.」

「Haylen may be the only place where so many witches and spirits still remain, despite the humans living here.」

「Though it has grown far more polluted than it once was.」

「Far dimmer than before.」

Their chattering voices faded, and the cats’ ears drooped. An ache stirred in Isaac’s chest as he watched them. It was a cherished past, an old haven that could never return, a place that now survived only in memory.

He felt sorry for the cats, yet at the same time, he regretted never having seen that ancient Haylen himself. How beautiful it must have been.

「Still, it remains a very fine place,」 one cat said, suddenly raising its ears again.

「Indeed. You can absorb vitality merely by breathing here,」 another agreed.

「It may not compare with the past, but places with life force this rich are exceedingly rare.」

The cats rolled together in the grass, resuming their cheerful chatter as though their ears had never drooped. Perhaps Isaac only imagined it because of their words, but their fur appeared unusually glossy, practically radiating energy.

They presented a striking contrast to Isaac, whose overstuffed stomach made every breath shallow. “I wish I could absorb life force from the air too. Why can I not do it?”

The cats proudly raised their noses. 「Low-grade witches cannot manage such a thing. Only witches of our caliber can feed on the energy dissolved into the air.」

They were infuriating. They had always been infuriating from nose to tail, but they seemed particularly unbearable now that Isaac felt ready to die from overeating, especially since all that food would accomplish nothing for his vitality. If vitality came so easily to them, they could at least share.

Isaac’s gaze must have grown exceptionally dark and sharp. The cats, who had been preening with pride, glanced uneasily at him and began inching backward on their haunches.

Then, apparently hoping to offer helpful advice, one purred, 「Muddlehead, if you are truly that desperate for vitality, you could take some from humans. The humans here possess more vitality than those elsewhere, so they should taste better too. Nothing restores a witch’s power more easily than draining life force from a human.」

“How do you do that?”

Desperation truly made people dangerous. Isaac had always known that witches could feed upon human vitality, but he had never once considered learning how. Recently, however, his body, mind, and even stomach had fallen into such miserable condition that the suggestion caught his attention. Perhaps taking only a very small amount would be acceptable.

If he drew no more than the person could spare without harming their health, it did not seem especially wicked.

「You do not even know that? How could you not know?」

「You merely touch someone and pull.」

「Just place your hand on them and pull. It is easier than breathing. You simply pull like this.」

One cat extended a paw and rested it on the back of Isaac’s hand. Pull.

The instant the word left its mouth, Isaac felt something strange flow through the contact, as though the blood had abruptly drained from his hand. Startled, he shook the paw away. The cat withdrew and licked its pads.

「That is how you do it. Easy, is it not?」

“What? How?”

「What do you mean, how? You touch and pull. Try it.」 The cat arrogantly offered its side, as though granting him a special privilege.

Isaac hesitated, then placed his palm against its flank. The other two gathered beside them.

「Yes. Now pull. Pull.」

“Pull.” Isaac focused intently upon his palm. Nothing happened. He blinked, unable to tell whether he had succeeded or failed. The cat stared at him in confusion.

「What are you doing? I told you to pull.」

“Pull.” He tried muttering it once more. Again, he felt nothing.

The cat’s eyes sharpened into triangles. All three pressed their heads together and began whispering.

「What do we do? He cannot eat even when the food is handed to him.」

「We knew he was rather slow-witted, but how can he fail to drain vitality? It is the easiest thing in the world.」

「All he has to do is pull. How are we supposed to explain it any more simply?」

They spoke as though they had given him an instruction as obvious as swallowing. Isaac grew dejected as well; he had assumed he would be able to do it once he tried. Apparently not.

「Should we ask a dream demon? They might be able to teach him. They specialize in draining vitality from humans. Yes.」

「They should know how to explain it.」

「Dream demons are common in Haylen, so finding one will not be difficult. I saw one wandering around earlier.」

Behind the three cats, Isaac nodded. “Fine.” He might as well learn how. “Only until we catch that witch. I am sorry, but perhaps I could replenish myself by taking just a very little vitality from someone else.”

The cats rolled their enormous eyes toward Isaac.

「Huh? You wanted vitality so you could see where Alikisa is?」

「Then a little will not be nearly enough. To gather enough vitality to see her, you would probably have to drain three or four people completely.」

“What happens to them if I drain them completely?”

“They die.”

The answer was admirably clear and concise. Isaac fell silent.

“Could I not collect it by taking a very small amount from many different people?”

「Vitality does not stay inside you for very long once you consume it.」

「If you take so little that it does not affect the humans, you would need the equivalent of dozens of people before you had enough to see Alikisa. By the time you finished, you would already have digested what you took from the first ones.」

Then it would be much easier to gather three or four people in one place and drain them dry.

No. That was not the answer. Whatever else happened, Isaac was not yet prepared to abandon his humanity to such an extent.

“Never mind. I do not think you need to speak to a dream demon after all.” He pressed a hand to his forehead and waved the suggestion away, then rubbed his overburdened stomach with the sense that he had returned precisely to where he had begun. He had finally gained eyes capable of locating the witch, yet at this rate, the ability was useless.

Where were they now? The witch. The magician. What if they intended to remain hidden until the night of the great new moon had passed? What if they were continuing to hurt people?

A groan escaped Isaac. His heart grew heavy at once, but no practical solution presented itself. Whatever happened, he would have to try again on the new moon. He did not place much faith in the attempt, but his body would be at its strongest then. Perhaps he could keep the vision for a few seconds longer than usual.

If necessary, he would simply accept another few days of unconsciousness. Time was running out. He had no choice but to attempt anything he could.

Thump.

Isaac pressed a hand to his swollen belly. The food inside felt as though it had not digested at all, merely sloshing from side to side. Perhaps he ought to run several laps around the grounds later. More urgently, lunchtime was approaching; could he hide somewhere until it was over?

Isaac glanced toward the reception-room windows. Kaiyan had just stepped up to one, and their eyes met.

Isaac froze like a criminal caught in the act. All he had contemplated was skipping one meal, which was hardly a crime, yet his shoulders hunched guiltily. Kaiyan looked down at him for a moment, then slowly crooked one finger.

Isaac rose without delay. Apparently, the Lord of Haylen was preparing to leave, having filled the reception room with his wife, daughter, and numerous attendants. This left Isaac wedged into the gathering like an unnecessary garnish under the pretense of serving as a guard. Since he had also been given a break, he had quietly slipped outside.

By the time Isaac hurried upstairs, servants were already streaming out of the reception room. He slipped between them as Kaiyan stood beside the window and shifted his gaze toward him. Feeling inexplicably self-conscious, Isaac bowed and took his place by the wall.

At that moment, the Lord of Haylen stepped between them, blocking Kaiyan’s view. He wrapped an affectionate arm around his daughter’s shoulders and offered his farewells.

“Then I shall have every document you requested brought here tomorrow. Not only the texts in the library, but those from my private collection as well. Please examine them at your leisure.” The lord offered a proud smile. “Our family possesses a long and distinguished history, and among the ancient documents handed down through our line are many that cannot be found in the library. No region has preserved as many texts concerning myths and legends as Haylen.”

He turned to an elderly servant behind him. “You understand? See that not a single detail is neglected.”

Having firmly delivered the order, he faced Kaiyan again. “I sincerely hope Your Highness enjoys a peaceful and pleasant stay in Haylen. You have only just completed a long journey and must be weary, so we will withdraw today and allow you to rest.” He offered a courteous bow. “I shall return from time to time to inquire after your health. Now that so distinguished a person has honored us with his presence, if I cannot come myself, then naturally I must send members of my household to pay their respects.”

The lord laughed heartily and patted his daughter’s shoulder. She smiled softly and bowed. Looking at her again, Isaac found her to be a beauty who did not quite look beautiful, and yet somehow did. Examined feature by feature, she was not exceptionally pretty; taken as a whole, however, she gave the vivid impression of a radiant beauty.

As Isaac studied her, he suddenly felt someone watching him and shifted his gaze behind her.

The maid was looking at him.

A maid named Elli.

When their eyes met, she blinked and smiled sweetly. Her expression was lively and adorable, and it was difficult to believe that such a lovely young woman dated four men at once. Actually, no; with eyes that smiled like that, Isaac could easily believe it. A man could know perfectly well what he was walking into and still follow her willingly.

Isaac smiled back by reflex. At that moment, the lord’s daughter glanced at Isaac. Then the lord did the same. Bewildered by their sudden interest in him, Isaac blinked and turned his head.

Kaiyan was watching him, his face entirely expressionless. He did not look away even once.

Did I do something wrong?

Isaac could only blink in confusion. The lord and his party appeared to reach a similar conclusion; they might not know what the guard had done, but if the prince was staring at him so intently, he must have committed some offense without realizing it.

The lord cast Isaac a suspicious glance, then apparently decided it would be wise to leave. “We shall take our leave, then. I hope Your Highness rests comfortably.”

Kaiyan still did not look at him. He merely drew his attention away from Isaac long enough to pass his gaze once across the lord’s daughter and her maid. Soon, the lord and his household departed, and the once-crowded reception room quickly fell quiet, disturbed only by the clatter of palace servants clearing empty cups and plates.

In the middle of it all, Isaac stood without moving so much as a finger. Only his eyes blinked very slowly. Kaiyan was still watching him, staring so intently that Isaac could not imagine what thoughts lay behind those blue eyes. The gaze did not feel particularly kind, but that had to be his imagination.

There is no reason for Kaiyan to look displeased. Yes. The prince’s eyes have simply happened to settle in my direction. Isaac reached that conclusion internally. Even so, the uncomfortable sensation refused to disappear entirely. He cautiously introduced the first harmless subject that came to mind. “This is my first time in Haylen, but it seems every bit as lovely as the rumors say. The air is clear, the weather is pleasant, and the people are kind.”

Kaiyan watched him for another moment, then nodded. “I will have to examine them personally, but there seem to be several texts here that I have not seen before.”

“Is that so?”

Kaiyan had followed the change of subject without objection, and his tone sounded as indifferent as usual. Apparently, Isaac had worried over nothing. He had just begun to relax when Kaiyan continued.

“Other than serving stew so foul that one buries it in the ground halfway through, Haylen appears reasonably pleasant.”

When did he see that? Isaac was almost certain the prince had not been standing near the window at the time. He lowered his eyes beneath Kaiyan’s unwavering stare. Then he realized that if this continued, he would die either from a ruptured stomach or some digestive illness.

Gathering his courage, Isaac lifted his head. “Lord Kaiyan, I have been told that eating large quantities does not improve vitality.”

“You look as though no one has fed you so much as thin gruel. If your mouth hurts and you continue skipping meals, do you imagine your vitality will maintain itself?”

The rebuttal caught him entirely by surprise. Kaiyan tossed the words out with apparent indifference, yet they came from a man who seemed unlikely to care whether anyone else ate or starved. Isaac blinked, briefly unsure what he had heard.

“Ah, but if this continues, obesity, hardened arteries, and every other illness of adulthood will inevitably follow. My health, stamina, and vitality will all decline instead. My blood will grow cloudy too. It will not taste as good.”

The instant Isaac mentioned the taste of his blood, one of Kaiyan’s eyebrows lifted. There. Isaac had found the argument that mattered.

“Therefore, I believe it would be best for everyone if I ate ordinary portions of a sensible, nutritionally balanced diet.”

Isaac never finished his sentence. Kaiyan crooked one finger.

Why is it so frightening whenever that man calls me closer? Isaac approached one slow step at a time. Kaiyan’s gesture ceased only when Isaac stood directly beside him, with no distance left to cross.

A hot stab of pain pierced Isaac’s wrist. Kaiyan had bitten into it.

Isaac flinched as the prince closed one hand around his and began drinking. Kaiyan swallowed the blood slowly, almost languorously. He looked less like a starving man satisfying his hunger than a connoisseur savoring a delicacy solely for its taste.

Compared with the violent pull of blood from the neck, the sensation was far easier to endure. Still, feeling blood flow steadily from his wrist was unnervingly unfamiliar. It was as though something warm and subtle were teasing the very bottom of his life, as though something deeper beneath it had been gently stirred.

Kaiyan suddenly raised his eyes. The instant Isaac met that vivid blue gaze, his heart dropped as though he had been caught entertaining some improper thought. He startled and pulled his wrist away almost reflexively. Kaiyan’s brow seemed to tighten, but he released Isaac without resistance. Even then, he did not look away.

“Rich and flavorful.” The prince slowly licked the blood from his lips. “The leaner taste was not unpleasant, but this richness is also quite good.”