109 109 Better Meat Shields
While the matter with the radios was sending the command center into chaos, Wolfe found a moment to ask Priya about upgrading her unit a bit, mostly for his own safety. The more witches around, the better.
“One more thing. Your whole team is born of Pure Blooded Witches, right? Do you mind if I open the mana flow of some promising ones? They might not know anything or have much aura, but it will let them grow into proper Witches.
I did it for some of the students at the academy, and the results were quite impressive. Even a few rookie Witches could make life easier for you.”
“You can do that? I heard that the most powerful Demons could manipulate mana directly the way that Witches manipulate nature, but I never believed it.” She gasped.
“He only needs to place a hand on their head,” Cassie added, so Priya would know it wasn’t anything improper.
“Let’s walk through the camp. Pick the ones that seem capable and let me know so I can send them to you. We would be in your debt.” She agreed.
“I accept your terms.” Wolfe smiled and felt the [Favor] activate.
It seemed that Priya wasn’t used to being around Demons, or she had simply forgotten about [Favor], but Wolfe was always keen to be owed one, even if he didn’t collect. Maybe it was a side effect of growing up in a Crime Family that dealt in favours and influence.
He focused on his surroundings with his eyes closed and read the signs of magic around him. She wasn’t lying, these were all born Witches, but they all had the same blockage stopping them from using magic.
It was the same as the heaviest spot that Wolfe had cleared from Cassie and the others while trying to improve their strength so he could grow faster.
“The inability to use magic is only a small issue if you are all Pure-Blooded Witches. You were born to wield magic. It’s only blocked by the Bloodline Curse if that’s what it really is. I will start with you so you understand.” Wolfe explained to Priya.
With a hand on her shoulder, Wolfe dredged the Lieutenant’s mana veins as clean as he could get them but didn’t try to expand them as he had with his own Witches and some of the regular class girls.
“Do you feel the change?” he asked.
Priya reactivated her armour before answering. “I’m not more powerful. My aura is the same. But the mana flows so freely, and I’m pulling in energy like my aura has been starved all my life. I’m not stronger now, but I will be.”
“Exactly right. Now, not everyone has the innate talent you do, so many of your soldiers will start at a much lower level than you did, but if I do that to your entire patrol, it won’t be long before you’ll need to teach them spells so they can release their own magic.” Wolfe explained.
“In combat, we activate all their magic swords for only the more difficult battles because it really drains us to do so many, and it needs mana to be kept active while fighting, unlike armour, which remains for a whole day unless it takes too much damage.
If even a few could use their own, I would do anything to ensure they repaid you.”
[Favor] activated.
Wolfe didn’t even consciously do it that time. The request was so clear that the spell activated itself.
“Alright, Bring the others in a few at a time, starting with the trained Witches. They’ll gain the most from having their pathways cleared.” Wolfe instructed.
“How long does the effect last?” Priya asked before she left the room.
“I haven’t seen any signs of reversion after the process was complete, but I don’t have a long-term study or anything. It could be that certain sorts of magic were affected and are causing the increased blockages in every successive generation.”
Priya considered that for a moment. “Maybe the mundane nations were right. They insist that it’s a lingering legacy of using magic to do harm that we are passing down to our children.”
She saw the confused look that Wolfe and her group shared, so she decided to elaborate.
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“Since we only sense magic as the force of nature, we can’t trace and eliminate the curse damage the way you did in me or even identify what is causing it to increase in our pure Witch children.
Maybe we could locate it with a spell, but someone who could sense mana in its pure state would have to do the cleansing since this can’t be passed on to another person like regular curse damage can be.
However, since the Magi are extinct, and no Demon would agree, it’s just gotten worse every generation.”
She had a point. Even if they were asked directly by a Witch who knew the process in theory, the Demons would find a way not to do it or to screw it up so they were never asked again.
Priya turned and left, then returned moments later with the other four Witches from her unit.
“Why is everyone watching so closely as he works? Do you think we can learn the method?” The first Witch that Wolfe approached asked before he could start.
“He likes to prank Witches, so we’re watching your reaction. Don’t worry. He won’t harm you or your power.” Ella explained.
“Pranks? Yes, demons are known for them, but what could he do right now?” The Witch asked.
“Just show her,” Ella suggested.
“No. Do not show her. Not the first one anyhow, or they’ll all ask.” Cassie corrected.
“How about I show the Lieutenant instead?”
Wolfe reached out to Priya, not quite touching her, and a surge of mana flowed into her aura, making her moan and give Wolfe a shocked look.
“What was that?”
“That’s what my magic feels like if I don’t hold back to the bare minimum. I could do the cleansing in five seconds, but the subject would be a drooling mess on the floor.” Wolfe explained.
“Do them how you did my pathways. Keep in mind, none of my soldiers have seen a man in the last five months.”
An all-female military unit had a lot in common with men who were just getting out of prison, Wolfe thought. The thirst was real.
Wolfe went one by one and cleaned the pathways of the other four Witches, then gestured for Priya to bring in more Witches to demonstrate his abilities on.
This group was a woman in her late thirties and nine women in their late teens, none of which had an active aura. The younger Witches were easy to work on, though their pathways were small and unused. The natural flow would correct that now that they could gather aura.
The squad leader proved to be a challenge. Her potential seemed to have atrophied with age, and even after Wolfe was done, only the slightest trickle could pass through the hardened pathways.
“For now, this is the best I can do. Age has atrophied your potential, so I’m not sure if you’ll ever have enough aura to cast combat spells, but it will slowly grow.” Wolfe apologized.
“Nine more potential Witches is a lot anyhow. I’ve lived this long without magic. There’s no need to get my hopes up.”
“Thank you for understanding. Please send in the next squad on your way out and have your team try building aura when they are off duty. The sooner they can activate their own magical weapons the better. The experienced witches will soon be able to activate even stronger armour for you all.”