Symbol of Peace

I called Lisha into the office and drew a magic circle in front of her.

Slave Card—item made using a slave’s DNA as material.

"Put a single strand of hair in here."

"Yes."

Curious, but obedient, she plucked a hair and placed it in the circle.

The magic light wrapped around the hair, and the card formed.

The same thing the other slaves have.

"Here."

I handed it to her.

"This is... DORECA?"

"A slave card. I give these to all slaves. Should work basically the same as DORECA, but ask one of the four for the details."

...

She didn’t take it. Just stared at the card, caught in some kind of hesitation.

"What’s wrong?"

"Can I... really take this?"

"You don’t want it?"

“No, me… getting something the same as everyone else—”

“Here.”

Without a word, she shoved the slave card into my hands.

“Me like this” probably meant she’d been a slave during Saint Night.

Didn’t matter. That’s exactly why I gave it to her.

I saw a man who looked like Saint Night in Belmi and suddenly felt like giving it away.

Then I didn’t want to—especially not the slave right in front of me.

“Thank you.”

Lysa cradled the slave card like it was something precious.

The card glowed faintly—and then.

—Magic power is being charged.

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I just… heard something weird.”

“?”

Lysa tilted her head.

I was more confused than she was.

Magic charge.

Normally, I’d hear the number pop into my head. But this time—nothing.

“Menu open.”

Curious, I checked with DORECA.

I looked at the magic number. Not much different from right before making a slave card.

Except it kept growing.

About one point per second.

Kind of like "slowly regenerating" in an RPG.

I checked the menu. Looked at Arisa.

Was she the cause?

…….

Probably.

Seeing her cradling the slave card like it was precious, I started to think that might be it.

Even sure of it.

Arisa might be that kind of slave.

The first time I’d ever seen magic slowly increase, and I accepted it pretty casually.

After all, I’d already learned from past slaves that everyone charged differently. I took the current situation in stride.

"Thank you, master."

Arisa’s "master" had become pretty natural now.

The door opened. The slaves appeared.

Risha, Mira, Yuria, Rirya.

Four slaves gathered in one place.

"Summoned, master?"

Risha stepped through the door, speaking as she entered.

Not just cards—she’d also been thinking about making collars and dresses for Lisia, and had called the slaves here to help with that.

The other three followed in a line.

All of them—slaves—now stood together in one room.

The cards began to glow.

Each one they carried—the one Lisia still held, the others tucked into pockets—suddenly lit up at once.

Five cards glowing, the light so bright it hurt to look.

"Is this... could the cards be evolving?"

"Or maybe new ones are appearing?"

Risha and Mira said.

I know. The slaves know too.

When the cards glow like this, it usually means something’s increasing—or their rank is rising.

"Master, your card isn’t glowing."

"Oh, really now?"

Yuria and Rirya say.

I looked at my DORECA.

Just as they said, mine was the only one not glowing.

The five slave cards blazed so bright they hurt the eyes, but mine didn’t even twitch.

Never seen anything like it.

Eventually, the glow from the slave cards faded.

"Check what happened."

I ordered, and the slaves all simultaneously checked their cards.

"Master, one more item can now be produced."

"What kind?"

I checked my own DORECA too, but nothing had changed—again.

"Um..."

Risha hesitated. The slaves glanced at each other.

What’s the problem? Something awkward to say?

Now I was curious.

☆

The next day.

In the heart of Rebeck, the town square.

All the slaves had gathered.

The five of them simultaneously pulled out their slave cards, forming a single massive magic circle.

A pentagram, each point anchored to a standing position, forming the base of the magic circle.

It shot out arrows in every direction, flying all over the place.

Incidentally, I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t even told what I could make.

The slaves began to move.

The arrows vanished somewhere.

By the way, no one told me what we were supposed to do.

Everyone chorus-claimed, “The fun’s in seeing it after it’s done.”

“Huh. Whatever.”

Actually, I was looking forward to it.

The kind of thing only slaves can make. I couldn’t wait to see what they’d build.

Fun fact: no mana was drained.

From past experience, things that don’t use mana tend to be pretty interesting. So much more exciting now.

The slaves brought in various materials and placed them into the circle.

“Master.”

Yuria came over to me.

Holding the commoners’ joint umbrella that Mayya brought earlier.

Too big for Yuria’s small frame, wobbling slightly in her hands.

“Can I use this?”

On closer look, the umbrella glows—its light pointing straight at the arrow emerging from the magic circle.

“Ah, so this is the material.”

“Yeah.”

Yuria made a guilty face.

“Don’t look like that.”

“But… it’s the very feeling of the people’s devotion to their master.”

“Don’t sweat it. It’s just decoration. If the circle demands it, take it without hesitation.”

“Uh… yeah…”

“Also…”

“Huh?”

“From now on, decisions like this are yours to make.”

She didn’t need to spell it out.

Yuria would get it.

Sure enough, she understood immediately—then flinched.

“Really… okay?”

“You’re the one I trust.”

That’s how much I believe in Yuria.

After about ten seconds of stunned silence, Yuria nodded hesitantly.

——Magic charged: 1,000,000.

“Do your best.”

She turned without a word, clutching the shared umbrella, and jogged off.

Typical Yuria reaction.

While we were doing that, the materials had all gathered.

The shared umbrella Yuria took was the final piece.

By now, the townspeople had gathered, watching from a distance.

Everyone wore that excited, breathless look—like they couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

“Master.”

Risha called out to me. I turned toward the slaves.

“So this is it?”

“Yes!”

Risha nodded. All the slaves looked at me with even more excitement than the townspeople.

Together, they were holding the shared umbrella—something Yuria had struggled with alone.

It clicked, suddenly.

“Do it.”

They all nodded in unison. Yuria slid the umbrella into the magic circle.

The magic circle enveloped the vast amount of materials already投入, glowing with light.

Familiar scene. What emerged—was a statue.

"...Me?"

And then, it was definitely my statue.

Wearing a crown, cloak billowing, striking a pose—me.

Turned into a statue.

"So that’s what it was."

Never expected a statue to form.

"We were surprised too."

"Yeah! But we knew it had to be made."

"More than that—feel it."

"Yes. Stronger, warmer. A sense of safety, even stronger than Ilya's Spring."

The slaves spoke in unison.

I felt it too. Right at the moment the statue finished.

Stronger than the feeling when Ilya's Spring repelled monsters.

Details unknown. Only this: this was clearly a superior version of Ilya's Spring.

A roar of cheers rose from the gathered crowd.

Probably, everyone felt the same thing.

Under the statue, slaves and commoners alike.

Everyone was wrapped in smiles.