A New Threshold

Night. Mira returned, bloodied.

"Master..."

"...You've endured."

Just looking at her, it's a scene straight out of a tragedy. But I can guess what happened.

I sent Mira to Nina.

Nina bleeds from the nose like a whale spouting when excited.

Mira's condition? Definitely her fault.

"Master... what kind of girl is that? Scared me! I went to see her, and she immediately rubbed her face against my collar and dress, then just started bleeding from the nose!"

"I had the same thing happen to me."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier? And it wasn't just the nosebleed. She just stared at me, muttering, 'King's slave, Second Slave...' like that. That part was terrifying..."

"I'm sorry. But it was necessary."

"I get that... but..."

Mira pouted, reluctant but doing it anyway.

She knew why I’d sent her to Nina’s. And she’d gotten something out of it, too.

Good. Let her go.

“Talk later. First, fix that mess.”

I led Mira to the bath.

Built when the palace was erected—just for me and my slaves.

The common folk still use public baths. Only I have a private one.

I pulled her inside, stripped off her bloodstained dress.

Started with her head.

Hot water poured over her—red blood dissolving, like something out of a nightmare.

“That’s—my lord, I can do it myself…”

“No, no, I’ve got it.”

“But… you’re my lord… to have you—”

“Reward from your lord. You held your nerve through a horror scene.”

She stopped struggling, then lowered her head, silent.

——Magic power charged: 10,000.

I washed the naked Mira, now slumped and subdued.

Her clean hair, sharp ears, pale skin.

I rinsed the blood clinging to her body.

Honestly, there was no real need to do this.

Mira was covered in blood, but it was already known that Eternal Slaves absorbed such grime during the release process, cleaning themselves automatically.

That’s how the slaves became clean after emerging from the sword.

So washing her wasn’t necessary.

But I did it anyway.

What a perfect chance— to treat a slave with care, to enjoy the moment of ownership!

How could I pass this up?

So I persuaded Mira, then washed her.

From hair to ears, shoulders to arms.

Every time I changed the part I was cleaning, thousands of magic points charged up.

It felt worth it.

I kept washing, thinking how I could make her happier.

"Today’s really troublesome. Never thought I’d be called 'Master' like that."

"Dislike it?"

"Obviously!"

Mira shot upright, turning her whole body toward me.

"Master is only for my master! A slave calling me Master? Impossible."

"Uh, yeah..."

"Calling me Master, of all things..."

Mira muttered under her breath—typical Eternal Slave grumbling.

"Got it. Just hide your front for now?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Why? You’re naked. It’s embarrassing."

She said it, but her face stayed perfectly calm.

"Since you’re my master, I’m not embarrassed."

She answered as if it were obvious.

Is that how it is?...Maybe it is.

"Fine. But then I can’t wash you properly."

"Oh! Sorry!"

Mira hastily returned to her previous position.

Stayed still in that position, did my best to make it easy for me to wash her.

Eternal Slave. Still such a delight to spoil.

☆

After getting out of the bath, I brought Mira into my private chambers and asked again.

“Now then, give me the full report.”

“Uh-huh. First, I did what my master commanded—told her things she hadn’t seen before.”

“Ah.”

“Then, while showing her around, she asked me what would happen if we put a different material inside the magic circle.”

“Huh.”

I was a little impressed—she’d jumped straight to that.

Then something clicked.

“Wait… wasn’t it you back then? When the Accelerator Shooter was made?”

That was right after Mira became my slave.

When Risha and Mira were trying to craft a weapon bow, Mira slipped up and put the wrong material into the magic circle—exactly the one that had been requested.

It made the wrong bow.

From that failure, somehow, came the pale green dresses they’re wearing now.

Customizing the base magic circle produces different results.

That’s what happened—but since then, I’ve been too busy to try it again.

"Yeah. I answered that... "

She gives a look up at me, eyes wide and pleading.

I stroke her head. She beams. Her magic charge surges.

"Anyway, I was made to run all sorts of experiments. Mixed things into the original magic circle."

"Huh. But that usually ends in failure, right?"

"Yeah. Failed....A lot."

Mira starts trembling.

"What’s wrong?"

"Uwaaah! It was scary, Master!"

She suddenly bursts into tears and throws herself at me.

"What? What happened?"

"I was scared! That girl’s scary! Every time I failed, she’d laugh—'Another failure, such a failure, ufu fu fu fu fu'—like that."

"Is she pissed?"

"No, not at all!"

Mira, looking up with teary eyes.

"I was dazed! She was dazed—like, totally into it. Happy as hell about failing. Just… dazed."

"Seriously?"

That was hard to picture.

Getting furious over a failure, then laughing hysterically after—okay, that made sense. But actually *liking* the failure? What was that about?

"And she doesn’t even get it! I asked, 'Why are you happy?' and she just looked back at me and said, 'Why *wouldn’t* I be happy? It’s a failure, after all?'"

What even *was* that?

"…Yeah. That must’ve been terrifying."

I rubbed Mira’s head, harder this time.

Honestly, Mira had probably had a hell of a day.

"Good job holding it together. That was impressive. I’ll give you a reward."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, really. What do you want?"

"Then… a medal!"

"A medal?"

"Yeah, the one Risha got."

"……Ah."

Mira said it was a medal made from origami.

The one she’d given Risha as a reward before—said she’d do something good if she collected enough.

Same deal. Been too busy since then. Totally forgot.

"I want that one."

"Is that so."

She crafted the origami with a magic circle, folded it, and handed it to Mira.

Mira beamed from ear to ear.

"Thank you, master!"

——Magic power charged: 10,000.

"Keep that close. When you’ve collected enough, I’ll give you something better."

"Yep!"

"So, all the magic circle customizations failed?"

"Ah, no! There’s one that worked."

"Oh? What’s that?"

"Well… rails."

"Rails? You mean… rails?"

Pulling out DORECA, she checks the list.

A new item called "rails" had appeared—something that wasn’t there yesterday.

From the video function on the gold card, a train rolled along the rails.

That’s exactly what I’ve been wanting all along.

The other one of two things I’d planned to do when building the city properly.

A transportation network connecting each town.

Now that the rails have appeared, that possibility’s actually within reach.