Buckshot Arrows

The next morning, in the reception hall of the lord’s manor.

Yan came strolling in with a smirk.

“Let me hear your answer.”

He looked like he already knew the answer, but played along anyway.

Too bad he’d be disappointed.

“I have no intention of serving under Maxim.”

“…Huh?”

His expression shifted—like he’d just heard something impossible.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I’m not planning to serve under Maxim. I’ll welcome alliances, cooperation—anything like that. But I’m not about to fall under his command.”

“You serious, you piece of—”

“Yeah.”

“You’ll regret this. Maxim-sama doesn’t tolerate defiance. He kills everyone who crosses him. This town—no, your four towns—will be wiped out.”

“With two thousand soldiers?”

“That’s right. Two thousand. Two thousand.”

“Then I’ll just turn the tables when they attack.”

Yan stared, dumbfounded.

You’re not serious, are you? His face said.

"You'll regret this. You sure about that?"

That was what she’d just heard.

"My answer doesn't change. Tell Maxim—I’m ready to work hand in hand with him, on equal terms, any time."

She said it flat, eyes locked on Yan.

Not joking. Not even close. Just straight, hard, like a blade pressed to the throat.

"…Hah. You’ll be sorry later. Don’t come crying to me then."

Yan spat it out with a sneer, then turned and walked out of the parlor.

A sharp *ping* echoed from the hall. Like something had been kicked, hard.

☆

"Master, what shall we make today?"

Outside the manor, three slaves gathered before me.

Risha’s usual line, a little too familiar, but I let it slide. I gave each a command.

"Pause the town’s construction. Secure our defenses."

First, the general plan. Then I looked at Mira.

“Mira, go to Kazan and tell them to hunt down a lot of Trowi. If you bring back Trowi arms, you’ll get a proper reward. I’ll set up a Naitoka magic array outside town—use that if you can’t find the Trowi themselves.”

“Yeah, got it!”

Mira took off.

Naitoka’s from the Silver Card, so we’re the ones who have to hand it over.

Next, I looked at Yuria.

“Yuria, go around town and produce or repair swords, spears, bows—anything like that.”

“Understood.”

“If you come across anything that can be handled with a Bronze Card, take care of it. If it needs Silver or higher, bring it back and tell me.”

“Understood.”

Yuria left too.

Risha remained, staring at me.

Eyes like a loyal dog—sparkling, eager.

And then, the quiet question: me, me—what’s left for me?

“Risha, you’re with me.”

“Understood.”

—Mana charged: 5,000.

Gonna need a slave on hand for the first face-to-face with the enemy, just in case.

Open the DORECA menu.

In the creation list, weapons category.

Scroll through the function videos from the Silver Card, one by one.

"Ah."

Found something promising.

A weapon called the Gradius.

"If I could mass-produce this..."

I kept watching the video, picturing it in combat.

☆

Leaving Rever, walking with Risha and the other two.

Still the same—this world’s wasteland stretches on. Endless, barren desert.

Look at this, and you’d think fighting each other is the last thing we should be doing.

"Say, Risha, what happened to that forest?"

"Things’ve gotten pretty lively lately—animals everywhere. When I go to tend them, they all come running, play-fighting and nipping at my clothes. Takes forever just to get started. Honestly, it’s a bit of a hassle."

"Animals like you, huh?"

An Eternal Slave—fair-haired elf.

Add that to Risha’s quiet, gentle nature, and it makes perfect sense why the animals flock to her.

"If that’s the case, then I’ll leave the whole place in your hands. If you can handle it with your Bronze Card, do whatever you want."

"Really? You’re sure?"

She asks, careful, hesitant.

Not like Yuria. Yuria would just follow orders without a second thought. Risha hesitates even when told to take charge.

Still—very much her.

"I’m sure. That’s why I gave you the Bronze Card. If you weren’t ready, I’d have left you as a regular. You’re my trust."

"Ah… "

—20,000 units of mana charged.

Risha’s cheeks flush as mana flows into her from the card.

The forest tale ended, and I followed the arrow of the magic circle, dragging Risha behind me.

Eventually—there it was.

A large bird, about the size of a human, appeared before us.

Feathers covered its entire body, and its beak held sharp teeth.

It glared at us with outright hostility, as if we were prey.

A Pchitzu, that monster was called.

"Is that the master?"

"Yeah. That's the soul of a Pchitzu we need."

"Ah… the molten rock…?"

"Exactly. Let's take it down, Risha."

"Yes!"

Risha tightened her expression in reply.

I drew the Eternal Slave Modified from my waist, touched the red gem, and summoned Risha into the blade.

The Flame Slave Sword. The blade burned fiercely.

I raised it high—then, instantly, I was struck first.

Puchiya spread her wings, twice the size of her body, and took flight.

A storm of feathers rained down.

“Huh!”

Channeling magic, I upped the heat and slashed sideways.

I incinerated the incoming feathers all at once with the blade’s tip.

One feather missed, grazing my cheek—blood trailed down.

(主人様!)

“I’m fine.”

Wiping the blood with the back of my hand, I charged Puchiya again.

Lifting the blade high, I swung it down with everything I had.

“Pigyaaahh!“

The giant bird shrieked.

The Flame Slave Sword, blazing hot, sliced through one of its wings like butter—but the bird retaliated with a flurry of feathers, scratching my arm.

I stepped back, readjusted my stance, and muttered:

“Would’ve been better with Yuria here.”

(Sorry…)

“Don’t sulk. I… I just thought it’d be better if both were here.”

(Both?)

“Yeah.”

From the broken edge of the feather, probably Risha’s flame—attribute-wise, that’s what it means, I think.

And to dodge the feathers, we’d need Yuria’s radar.

Risha’s firepower, Yuria’s evasion. If we could just combine the two… that’s what I thought.

“Won’t be good if this drags on—going in hard.”

(Yes!)

I poured more magic into it, swelling the flames nearly double, slashing straight down at Puchiiza, then using the rebound to burn the whole body.

The monstrous bird burst into flames, blackening in an instant, crashing to the ground with a thud.

From the ashes of Puchiiza, a glowing orb rose.

Puchiiza’s soul.

This glowing thing is the material for Gradiick.

☆

“One soul of Puchiiza, one bow, that’s it.”

While Risha used her universal remedy to heal her wounds, she arranged the gathered materials into the magic circle and crafted the desired Gradiick.

The magic circle transformed into an item.

A bow adorned with white feather ornaments appeared.

"Hmm."

Picking it up, she examined it closely.

"How is it, my lord?"

"I don't know about bows. Try it yourself."

"Yes."

Risha took the bow from me and nocked an arrow.

"I'll aim at that rock."

"Ah."

The moment I nodded, she loosed the arrow.

The arrow flew straight—then changed midair.

One arrow split into five.

Dosh! Dosh! Dosh! Dosh! Dosh!

Five arrows struck the rock in unison.

Just like in DORECA’s videos—perfectly replicated.

"So this is how it works."

"Ah. It’s like a shotgun. The arrow splits when fired. We’ll mass-produce these for defense."

"Amazing… I’ve never seen a bow like this. With this, 2,000 soldiers wouldn’t scare me at all."

"Even if it’s not that simple, firepower should definitely go up, right?"

Gladius and Neetka.

That’s the tactic I came up with—mass-produce these two.

A turret and a shotgun, lined up together, and we’ll manage somehow.

To get them both, I kept hunting Puchiza with Risha, nonstop, until we’d gathered enough universal medicine.