Joy doubled, strength doubled
Counted the number of fallen humans.
Exactly twenty, men and women together.
Bringing these people back would make twenty-seven in total.
Before, it wasn’t even much of a town—only five people lived there. But twenty-seven? Well, that’s about the size of a village now.
Gotta keep growing the numbers, that’s why we came all this way to find Schreivij.
Anyway, as I went around checking if everyone was still alive, I noticed something.
Out of the twenty, one was a woman with golden hair and pointed ears.
Looks like an elf. A species called Eternal Slave.
Exactly the same look as Risha.
Could it be—?
“Uuu…n…”
The girl groaned, eyes fluttering open. She seemed to notice.
“W-where… am I…?”
“Noticed it, huh?”
“Y-yeah… hah! H-human!?!”
She jumped up, scrambling backward with a frantic scrabbling sound.
Sitting back on her butt, trembling, keeping her distance from me.
Scared of humans... or did something terrible happen to her?
Still, I have no intention of doing anything terrible to her.
The noble, earnest creature that is a slave—she should be loved, that’s my policy.
“It’s alright. I’m not going to do anything.”
Smiling gently, but it doesn’t help much.
The girl just stares at me, shivering uncontrollably.
Every step I take forward, she retreats a step back.
Hmm... what’s the deal with this?
Just as I’m thinking that—
“Master~”
A voice came from behind. Risha’s voice.
Turning around, there she was—Risha in a dress, collar around her neck.
“What is it?”
“You were late coming back. I got worried.”
“Huh. You found me fast—ah, right. The arrow-shaped magic circle from Schreiviju’s claw, I guess.”
She’s still doing it. After the apes returned to human form, she’s been poking at a few claws scattered across the ground.
Must’ve followed the trail, Risha thought.
“Right—got the universal remedy, Risha?”
“Yes, the one my master gave me is still here.”
“Hand it over to me for now. I’ve used up my share.”
“Yes… wait, used up?!”
Risha froze, hand halfway to pulling out the remedy.
“You had so much, didn’t you? Why’d you use it all?”
“Fought a strong monster. That’s why.”
“Whaaat? Are you okay?!”
“Look at me.”
She gave a half-hearted thumbs-up.
“Good… good…”
Risha exhaled, relief washing over her face—genuine, deep relief.
I watched her for a moment, then remembered something.
“Menu open.”
--------------------------
Akitto
Classification: Frond Card
Magic Power: 16
Number of items created: 49
Slaves: 1
--------------------------
Her magic was definitely fading—barely holding on.
The Eternal Slave made from Risha’s hair unleashes its true power when fed magic.
We were on the verge of using up the antidote completely, not just the miracle elixir, from that scorpion fight a moment ago.
Thank you, Risha.
“Huh?”
"Thanks to you, I managed to defeat the strong enemy."
I didn’t do anything, really.
Doing it, yeah.
I took Risha’s hand and said.
You’re my pride and joy, my slave.
"My prized slave..."
Risha stared at me, unblinking.
Her eyes flew wide. She didn’t trust her ears.
After a moment—she let out a soft, quiet laugh.
A grin spread across her face, slack and wide.
— Charged 10,000 units of magic.
Risha charges magic when happy. Her smile charged ten thousand.
I wanna admire my slave. The one right in front of me gives off a ton of magic just from being admired.
That’s what they mean by a win-win situation, huh.
“Ah…”
I hear breathing from a distance.
The girl who woke up a moment ago. The other Eternal Slave.
She wasn’t trembling anymore. Just staring at me, wide-eyed.
Guess she can talk now. I’ll try speaking.
“I’m Akito. This one’s my slave, Risha.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Your name?”
“M-Mira.”
“Mimmy? What’s that?”
“Mira! I’m Mira!”
She laughed at the joke.
Back then, she’d have just been cowering.
“Can I ask you a few things? First, your look—same as Risha, an Eternal Slave, right? Not an elf?”
“Eternal Slave. What’s an elf?”
She doesn’t know. Doesn’t matter.
“So, why do you remember—what happened right before you passed out?”
Recalling everything, he changed the question mid-sentence.
“Um… I was walking through the woods when suddenly—monster attacked… wait, I’m alive.”
Mira looked down at her body.
She remembered being attacked. That she was still alive felt strange.
Same as the four she’d helped before—Eternal Slave or not.
“Then, one more thing—will you become my slave?”
“Yes, I will!”
She answered instantly.
He was the one who blinked. Just a moment ago, she’d been trembling with fear. He hadn’t expected a “yes” so fast.
“Really?”
“Yes! Please!”
Mira stood up and bowed sharply.
“Menu open”
--------------------------
Akitto
Classification: Fronz Card
Mana Value: 10016
Items Created: 49
Slaves: 2
--------------------------
Yeah, slave count’s up to two now.
The conversation wound down, so I scanned the others—people, mostly, slumped on the ground.
All nineteen remaining were human.
Just wait for them to wake up. Try to convince them all to come back to town.
“Um… Risha-san?”
“Huh?”
“How long have you served your master… and how did you get that collar?”
“This is—”
“You want one?”
I turned around, addressing Mira, who’d spoken from behind.
The tone of Risha’s voice. The look on her face right after she turned.
No doubt about it—Mira was envious of the collar.
“Yes… I’m a slave, after all.”
“Hmm.”
Wanting a collar because you’re a slave. That’s the logic.
“Alright. Here.”
“Eh?”
Mira blinked, startled. I started drawing the magic sigil for the collar.
“B-But… is that okay?”
“You wanted it, didn’t you?”
“Yes!”
“Then I’ll give it to you. Slaves can’t be slaves without collars, right?”
“Yes!”
“Risha, you help too.”
“Understood.”
Risha smiles softly, Mira’s face still half-believing but buzzing with excitement.
——Magic power charged: 2,000.
——Magic power charged: 10,000.
At the same time, both of them were charged.