Lord

The golden manor of Rebeck.

In a room resembling a conference chamber, the three—Madway, Agafon, and Gerashim—were gathered.

Four of us sat around a round table, me included.

Risha and Mira circulated parchment sheets among the four.

The three took the sheets, covered in dense text, and signed without so much as glancing at them.

"Hey, this is a contract. You’re not even reading it?"

"Akito made it."

Madway, the one who’d known me the longest, replied.

"Then there’s no problem."

I was about to ask what exactly he meant by that when Agafon and Gerashim echoed the same thing.

"I agree. If Akito wanted to deceive us, he’d’ve done it already."

"Right? He wouldn’t go through all this trouble."

The two spoke, nodding in unison, arms crossed, eyes shut—Madway, too, giving slow, firm nods.

A level of trust that’s almost shocking.

“Now, it’s just you, Akito.”

Gerasim said, the other two turning to look at me too.

They want my signature as well.

I glanced at the parchment in my hand, signed it.

The parchment made by DORECA flared with light at once.

Contract complete. The moment the four towns united under my rule had arrived.

☆

Stepping out of the Golden Mansion, I looked up at it.

Risha came to my side.

“Master, I’ve checked. There’s no one left inside.”

“Is that so.”

“Everyone out? You’re starting something, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Menu open.”

Holding DORECA, I brought up the menu before me.

From the creation list, I selected the one that had turned into a Silver Card.

—Dismantle.

I selected that, then chose the Golden Mansion before me.

“Wait, you’re using up half a million mana?”

A noise slipped out—half surprise, half disbelief.

Dismantle is exactly what it sounds like: a spell that breaks things apart.

Generally, you can destroy buildings or tools, but it takes a proper amount of mana to do so.

When I tried applying it to Malart’s Golden Mansion, the cost came up as half a million mana—ridiculous.

"Master... are you going to repair this building?"

Mira asked. She didn’t understand. This was her first time seeing Dismantle used.

"No, the opposite. I’m going to destroy it—right now."

"Destroy it?"

"Yeah. Smash it. If this thing stays here, the townsfolk aren’t gonna like it."

This Golden Mansion was a symbol of Malart’s rule. From what I’d heard, it was built by squeezing money out of both Rebeck and Beisk—forced payments, taxes, whatever. Hardly a fair deal.

A monument to oppression.

"I understand."

Risha nodded.

Then Mira arrived.

Mira returned with a broad smile on her face.

“Something good happen, Mira?”

“Yes! Look, my lord.”

Mira showed us what she had—something she’d picked up for both me and Risha.

“What’s that?”

“A bow decoration.”

Still smiling, she said it.

“I saw it at a shop nearby. I thought it looked nice, so they gave it to me. I got one for Risha too.”

She held it out to Risha.

“Ah, the shopkeeper said to say hello to you, my lord.”

“That’s….”

I didn’t like it much.

“What’s wrong, my lord?”

Mira didn’t get it.

Risha did. The senior slave frowned, glancing at the junior.

“Mira, do you even realize what you’ve done?”

“Eh? Did I… do something wrong?”

You… that’s no different than extorting something under your master’s authority. The people here know Mira belongs to the master. And right now, they can’t defy the master’s words.

“Ah—”

Mira’s face went pale.

"S-sorry! I'll bring it back right away!"

Mira shot off, then shot back.

I'm sorry, my lord! I didn’t realize I’d end up like this…

Well, if you’re giving it back—

"Mira, we’re servants of our master. Do you really think it’s okay for servants to trouble our master… to disgrace his name?"

Mira went paler and paler at Risha’s words. By the end, she was trembling violently.

She was trembling as if the world itself might end tomorrow.

I'm sorry, master! I didn't mean to—

Mira’s always been like that—just said it straight, no ulterior motive, really. She’s the one who’s got the sense to hold back at the right moment, that’s all.

Nothing big. Didn’t bother me at all. She gave it back properly, didn’t she?

“Honestly, no big deal.”

“……”

For some reason, Mira looked like she was about to cry.

I’d already forgiven her. What’s with that face?

“Master…”

Risha spoke up from beside her.

“I’m terribly sorry for the trouble. But given how serious a mistake this slave has made, might I ask that you deliver punishment, master?”

Receive punishment. That’s quite a phrase.

But the instant Risha said it, Mira bobbed her head up and down, vigorously, frantically.

Like she was screaming, *Please, master, punish me!*

This—should I do something?

But… my policy’s always been to love my slaves. I don’t like hurting them.

“…Then take off that collar.”

“Eh? Y-yes.”

Mira unhooked the collar.

The same one as Risha’s—gem-studded, just like the one I gave her. I think she was pretty thrilled when I handed it over.

“Since you’re no longer worthy of it, I’m confiscating it.”

Said it deliberately harsher than needed.

Well, it’s a punishment. A little harshness won’t hurt.

The collar… I’ll probably give it back once things cool down.

Turning back to dismantle the Golden Mansion, ready to move on—

—Magic power charged: 3000.

“Huh?”

The sudden surge of magic power froze her in place.

Every time a slave gets happy, a massive amount of magic power gets channeled into DORECA.

Given the circumstances of the Holy Night, 3000 was undeniably the amount charged for genuine happiness.

Risha and Mira looked at each other.

Could it be…?

Staring at Risha, she said:

“Risha, you too—take off your collar.”

“Huh?!”

"Collective responsibility. Since your junior hasn’t become a slave, that’s your fault too. As punishment, I’ll confiscate your collar for a while."

"Yes…."

Risha unhooked the collar and handed it to me.

——Magic power charged: 6,000.

More than Mira.

Seems like she’s actually enjoying the idea of being punished “because she failed.”

You can feel it faintly on both their faces.

Eternal Slave. Everlasting slave.

Probably that’s what “good” means to her.

It’s good for me too, but I gotta be careful not to go too far and get her deliberately failing just to get punished.

Thinking that, I cast the dismantling magic circle on the Golden Mansion.

The mansion was wrapped in magic power and slowly began to break apart.

People from the town gathered around, watching.

They stared at the dismantling of the symbol of Malart’s tyranny, moved to tears.

And then, when the golden manor was gone, leaving only a bare, open plot of land.

The townspeople dropped to their knees all at once, bowing their heads toward me.

"Thank you, Master Akito!"

Someone said it, and then everyone began chanting "Master Akito" in unison.

A little bit of me felt like a lord.

And then DORECA began to glow with a familiar light.