What we’ve built up

“Mira, show me your slave card.”

Morning, inside the lord’s manor.

Mira pulls out her slave card and places it into the magic circle I’ve made.

I nick my fingertip with the Eternal Slave Upgrade, letting a single drop of blood fall.

A new item unlocked with the platinum card: Slave Card (Bronze).

The required materials are a Slave Card (Normal) and the master’s blood.

The magic circle wraps around the materials, transforming them into the new card.

“Thank you, master!”

“I already did the other two, but just to test the effect…”

I use the Eternal Slave Upgrade to split the wooden table in the room right down the middle.

A wooden table made by DORECA.

“Look for the menu—there should be a repair option under Bronze.”

“Found it.”

“Apply it to this table.”

“Got it.”

Mira does as told, using the card to repair the table.

"Magic and materials?"

Half of what it originally was.

Same as my original card, huh.

Same as normal.

Mira burst out of the room. She’d gone to fetch materials for the repair.

I sit in the chair, eyes on the table, thinking.

This is quite a bit larger. The fact that it’s now bronze and repairable by the slaves—that’s a big deal.

Only I could do the repairs before. That made things inefficient as hell.

The fact that the slaves could be repaired and made functional again was a massive step forward.

Mira brought over the materials and fixed the table.

"Hmm, doesn't seem to be any particular issue. Exactly the same as DORECA's ability."

Yes! Hehe.

“What’s wrong, smiling like that?”

It makes me happy to be able to serve my master better like this.

"Is that so? Then work harder for me from now on."

Yeah!

Mira answers instantly, a broad smile on her face.

Still the same slave.

"Master."

The door opened, and Yuria stepped in.

"What is it?"

"A messenger."

"A messenger? Valeria?"

"Not from Kazan."

The little slave shook her head quietly. Her face looked more serious than usual.

☆

I stepped into the reception room and nearly frowned.

A man was there. Unshaven, wearing a scarred suit of armor, his cloak stained dark red with grime.

At a glance, he looked like a thief or worse.

He was devouring the castella Risha had set out for guests, shoving it into his mouth like a starving dog, crumbs spilling from his lips.

Poor manners. Is this really the "messenger" Yuria was talking about?

He looked up, catching my eye.

"You must be Akito."

"...Yeah. And you?"

We sat across from each other. Mira, who had come in with me, stayed just behind my back.

"I'm Yan. Work under Lord Maxim."

"And?"

Yan kept talking while shoveling food into his mouth. Sitting across from me, the discomfort was thick.

"Lord Maxim sent word. Come pay your respects within ten days. That's it."

"Within ten days? Pay respects? What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Your attitude from here on decides the fate of these four towns—including this one. Don’t you dare ruin Lord Maxim’s mood."

"Wait—what the hell is going on? What are we even talking about? Who the hell is this Maxim? What does he want from me?"

"Hah."

Yan snorted through his nose.

"Seriously? The new leader of Rebeck’s just some ignorant fool?"

"Insulting my master?"

Mira shouted, her voice sharp as a blade.

“What the hell are you…? You’re a slave, aren’t you? A slave should know their place. Should you really be butting in while your master’s speaking? Huh?”

“…Damn it.”

Mira bit her lower lip, silent now, frustration tightening her face.

The worst part? She couldn’t argue back as a slave.

“Mira. Don’t speak to this one. That’s an order.”

“Understood.”

Yan’s words overwritten mine—my master’s command.

The bitterness in Mira eased, just a little. But her glare at Yan never wavered.

I turned to Yan.

“Sorry for my ignorance. Can you explain it plainly?”

“Seriously… you don’t know who Maxim is?”

Now he looked stunned. Was he really that famous?

“Um… my lord?”

“Hm?”

“Maxim’s the name of a great lord from the north. He’s been waging war all over, seizing towns, turning them into his own.”

So he’s an invader, then.

Yan looked at him—smug, chest puffed out.

“Yeah, that’s about it. Don’t worry. Lord Maxim’s not exactly fond of bloodshed. If you come in proper greeting, pledge your loyalty, no trouble’ll come of it.”

“…And if I refuse?”

“Then Lord Maxim’s two thousand men’ll come rolling into town. That’s all.”

Yan grinned wider.

“…Sorry, but give me one night.”

“Hmph. Fine. Though I already know what your answer’ll be.”

“…Risha.”

Not Mira, who stood behind—just Risha.

“Yes, my lord?”

“Show Yan to his quarters. Be respectful.”

“Understood.”

Yan followed Risha out of the reception hall.

“Phew…”

Leaning deep into the chair, he exhaled.

War.

The word surfaced in his mind.

So, that’s what this is about—surrender, or else two thousand soldiers are coming to kill you. You don’t want to die, do you?

Well, what now?

☆

I took a walk through the town of Rebeck.

“Sis, how much is this?”

“Five thousand yen.”

“Expensive. Can you cut me a deal?”

The streets buzzed with life. The main road had turned into a proper market street, full of trades and haggling.

It was nothing like it had been under Malart’s rule.

“Lord.”

A man noticed me and stepped forward.

“Lord, I heard a rumor—really, I just overheard—Maxim’s targeting this town. Is that true?”

“…Who told you that?”

“Just now, one of Maxim’s men came by. Took some of our goods without asking. When I stopped him, he said, ‘It’s going to be Maxim’s anyway.’”

Yan….

Thought, what kind of nonsense is this? But the lord’s slave was there, and I didn’t stop him.

Risha…?

So my own order—having Risha follow along—ended up giving Yan’s words weight.

“We got taken too.”

“Same here.”

“Me? I tried to stop ‘em, and they clocked me right here.”

“Over here, they smashed the shop.”

One after another, townsfolk gathered, complaining of their losses.

I handed a universal remedy to the man who’d been beaten. The destroyed shop got repaired with DORECA.

“Sorry, everyone. Yeah, that kind of talk’s been going around.”

A murmur rose all at once at my words.

“Maxim sent a surrender ultimatum. Said if we don’t surrender and come under his protection, he’ll send twenty thousand troops to attack.”

More whispers, more agitation.

Yeah. That’s exactly what I figured.

Twenty thousand troops? You’d do the same, wouldn’t you?

Rebeck’s the biggest town in my village—still only about a thousand people.

It's only natural to flinch when they say 2000 is coming.

And, I thought.

"Lord, what should we do?"

“Huh?”

The man who’d first complained about the damage asked.

"What do you mean, what should I do?"

We’re fighting. What do we need to do to repel two thousand soldiers?

…

I was surprised. Nothing like the reaction I’d expected.

"You're such a fool,"

Another woman said.

There’s nothing we do that’s changed. Just gather the materials for whatever the lord’s crafting.

"Yeah, yeah, the lord’ll definitely whip up some awesome thing that can take down two thousand people!"

"Hey now, look at that NEET cat. Making a whole bunch of those... how about that?"

The townsfolk started chattering away, a noisy buzz of voices.

Everyone talks with faces full of hope. No one’s despairing.

I pulled out the DORECA.

Everyone’s eyes locked onto it.

The gaze I received—firm, unshaken, full of trust.