Chapter 33 - Episode 4: "I Shall Burn Down a Village"
Gokigenyou. I am Violia Nico Fortesia.
I am currently listening to the report from Keeb and Giovan... and while I am bit by bit bottling the diluted blood after having finished a graceful blood draw after eating plenty of fresh leaves, the four of us are in a strategy meeting.
"Where are the dealers?"
"In the shack. They're consulting among themselves. We're consulting among ourselves, so we're on a temporary break."
It seems their business talk with Giovan is mostly finished.
Since several agreements have been established, Giovan first gave a report.
"It went pretty well. The deal is set: we'll cultivate the drugs and they'll sell them as is. We also decided to sell magic-potion-type drugs. As expected, there's still demand for leaves, but the magic-potion-type seems to be gaining popularity too."
"Oh. That is good to hear."
Regarding drugs, leaf-types, mushroom-types, and drugs derived from certain monster materials were the mainstream until now... in other words, classical drugs. However, magic-potion-type drugs have also been developed recently, and the demand for those is growing... or rather, there are many people who want to try the magic-potion-type, which is more effective and has fewer impurities. That is the power dynamic.
Magic-potion-type drugs require an enormous amount of capital investment and technical fees, so they are priced higher accordingly. Leaves grow if you just leave them alone and can be raised without much knowledge, so the price is lower.
...However, in our case, the production costs for both are perfectly reversed.
"It might be good to sell the young lady's blood under a new name for the nobles. Those guys probably won't be able to tell it's the same as 'Mystic Ruby' as long as the bottle looks different."
"There is no doubt about that."
If the customers are nobles, it is fine to overcharge them significantly after adding plenty of value. I wonder how much my blood will be bought for. I am very much looking forward to it!
"Also, I told them we're going to report this drug plantation. That's fine, right?"
"Of course. Dealing a blow to House Fruitier is the top priority."
Since the dealers are important sources of income, we cannot afford to involve them in the report. We must have them continue to favor us and sell drugs to nobles in rapid succession!
Now then. So far, this is just confirmation.
And from here is the main subject.
"By the way, how many fields can fit inside a bag?"
First, we start from here.
We immediately try putting a field inside a bag.
"Perhaps about two villagers per bag...?"
"I don't know the sense of internal capacity, so I don't know about that either."
...However, I am quite lost on how exactly to put the fields in.
After all, there has likely never been a human who has made a field inside a bag until now! This 'Biological Spatial Bag' is a product of illegal modification, so there is no instruction manual or anything!
...Ugh! It cannot be helped!
"It is no use! I shall try going inside once!"
And so, although Keeb and Giovan tried to stop me, I left things to Doran and jumped into the bag!
...Then.
"Oh... is this the inside of the bag?"
It was a vast, pitch-black space.
Since not being able to see anything is a problem, I illuminated the surroundings with fire magic. Then, finally, I could see the inside of the bag.
...It seems this is a space about the size of one large hall in the Royal Palace. If packed a bit tightly, it is large enough for five dragons to fit comfortably.
The floor and walls are made of a black substance that does not even reflect light, and it feels somewhat fluffy. Incidentally, the mouth of the bag is not visible. What is going on with this?
Well, it is fine.
Judging by the size... perhaps two small fields can fit per bag? It is a size that one person could sufficiently manage.
Hmm. This is...
"It is dark!"
It was a blind spot, but! Since it is inside a bag, it is dark here!
"Doran—, Doran—! Could you let me out—!?"
...And there was one more problem.
"W-Wait a moment! Can you hear me—!?"
Yes. Inside this bag. Once you enter...
"Ah, this is no good! I cannot be heard!"
There is no means of communication with the outside!
"I briefly prepared myself for death."
"Scary! ...I'm definitely never going inside!"
"...We need a countermeasure."
In the end, I was saved. Originally, I had told Doran to drag me out of the bag if there was no contact after five minutes. Therefore, I was safely let out after five minutes.
Ah, and at the same time, it was proven that time does not flow differently between the inside and outside of the bag. It was probably five minutes. It felt much longer because of the anxiety of being trapped in pitch darkness, but it was probably exactly five minutes.
"Hmm, if we are to put farmers inside, we want a means of communication..."
Now then. Regarding a means of communication... I immediately consult with Keeb.
"I wonder if we can add an exit inside the bag?"
"You want me to modify it again?"
"That is right."
If it were for capturing live monsters, it would be a problem if the monsters inside the bag came out on their own, but this time, it would be better if one could enter and exit to some extent... If we were to accidentally get stuck inside the bag, it could lead to a disaster!
"When I went inside the bag, the mouth of the bag was not visible. Additionally, I did not feel any shaking or anything while I was inside. Could this be some kind of hint?"
"In short, it means it's creating a perfect pocket dimension using the bag as a medium, right? As for the shaking, maybe it's just that there's no sense of up or down inside the pocket dimension? How should I know anything more than that?"
Oh, is that so. I only have similar knowledge regarding Spatial Bags.
Probably, the reason one does not feel shaking inside a Spatial Bag is... because if they did, the things inside the bag would move around violently along with the shaking of the bag and break.
However... this is a problem.
I wonder if we can find a way to get out from inside the bag?
"...By the way, if you turn a Spatial Bag upside down and shake it, everything inside comes out, doesn't it?"
"Yeah."
I suddenly remembered; I believe Keeb said he performed the Great Slime Release that way. I also sometimes shake a Spatial Bag when I have forgotten what I put inside.
"I wonder why things only come out when it is turned upside down?"
"...Isn't it just that things don't come out of the bag unless the mouth of the bag is facing downward?"
That is true, isn't it.
...Which means, you see?
"Could we not just leave the Spatial Bag lying on its side?"
Yes. Once I think of it, it is time for an experiment.
"Then I shall go inside again."
"Are you a daredevil?"
A young lady must be nothing if not inquisitive! I jumped into the bag once again!
"I did it!"
I did it! This time I was able to get out of the bag on my own!
...It seems this Spatial Bag is a pocket dimension with the 'bag' as a barrier. In other words, the mouth of the bag is the part where the pocket dimension and the outside world directly touch. One can exit to the outside from the mouth of the bag, which directly touches the outside world. Conversely, if the clasp of the bag is hooked and it is firmly closed, one cannot exit from the inside of the bag. That is how it is.
And yet, the up and down of that pocket dimension is always fixed regardless of the orientation of the bag. So when the bag is turned upside down, it feels as if the floor has suddenly vanished and one is falling. And, if the bag was lying on its side with the mouth open... if one charges into a certain side of the wall of the space, they will end up exiting to the outside!
Is this not a great discovery!?
...Ah. In a Spatial Bag that has not been illegally modified, things that could exit on their own cannot be put inside the bag in the first place...
"If we always keep the Spatial Bag on its side, the farmers can also escape as much as they want."
"Is that okay?"
Keeb is tilting his head.
"I thought for sure you were going to put the farmers in the bag and never let them out again."
If that were possible, it would be simple.
"We could lock them up and make them work, but that seems like it would be troublesome to manage... More than anything, with the current capacity of the bag, only one or two fields can fit. A residential area is needed separately."
Now then. Now that the mystery of entering and exiting the bag has been solved, this kind of problem has also arisen.
In short, it means we cannot keep the workers we put in the bag inside indefinitely. This is a difficult problem.
"I have a question."
"Yes, what is it?"
Now then. Here, Doran raises his hand. Since I already know that he is quite sharp, I shall listen with a bit of expectation.
"Is it not possible to make the capacity of this bag larger?"
...Capacity, is it.
"There are Spatial Bags with much larger capacities. Like the ones for military use."
Ah. I have seen those before. Military Spatial Bags are, in short, things used to store food for the unit, spare weapons, and even bedding and such for everyone, or alternatively, they are used to transport relief supplies for hundreds or thousands of people in the event of some disaster.
The scale is different from the personal Spatial Bags used by adventurers. Yes.
...Ah.
"I see. If the capacity of the bag is enormous, the problems in that area will be solved...!"
That is it! I have had a flash of inspiration!
"We shall create a Bag Village inside the bag along with the drug plantation!"
With that, we can just have the villagers settle inside the bag!