Two Cards
The capital, Rebeck.
Inside the palace, Lisha stood before me.
“Summoned you, master?”
“Yeah. Got something for you.”
“For me?”
“Here.”
I held out the collars I’d had Mira and Rirya make—two of them.
A one-of-a-kind, purple-stoned collar, meant just for Lisha.
I pushed it toward her face.
“This… is the same as the others?”
“Yeah. This one’s yours.”
“—!”
Lisha gasped.
Hands pressed to her mouth, tears welling.
Joy tears—no surprise there.
A normal slave would’ve just been forced into it, but she needed a ritual first.
“However. Two conditions.”
“W-what?”
Lisha, wide-eyed and eager.
“One. Your daughter becomes my slave too.”
“Is that… really okay!?”
Shock. Delight. Pure, unfiltered joy.
She wanted it too, apparently. Even she wasn’t an exception.
“Really. What do you think?”
“Of course! Take my daughter as a slave too!”
Said with the kind of force that promised a lifetime curse if refused.
Predictable. I’d known it’d go this way even before she opened her mouth.
She was an Eternal Slave. I’d started to understand how their minds worked.
So I pulled out the second—my real trump card.
“One. Renounce Saint Night completely.”
“—!”
She gasped again. This time, something different.
Saint Night—the former master. To cut ties with her entirely. To betray her. To become mine.
That one… I couldn’t read her.
For an Eternal Slave, choosing between the old master (Saint Night) and the new (me)—that wasn’t something you could predict.
Lisha stared at me, eyes wide open.
I waited.
Didn’t push. Didn’t speak. Just held the collar and waited.
Not some forced answer. I want one from the slave’s heart.
So I waited.
After what felt like an eternity, Lisha took the collar from my hand, her face serious.
She placed it around her own neck.
The gem flared to life—fusing with her body.
No “Is this really alright?” came.
No need to doubt. No need to verify.
This was an Eternal Slave—the kind this world bred.
“Good. Let’s get to work.”
“Yes!”
I gave Lisha, my slave, a command, as if nothing had happened.
She nodded, as if nothing had happened, and carried out my order.
Nothing changed.
The magic charge rose by two in one second. That was it.
Just the familiar scene of master and slave.
☆
Meanwhile, events unfolded beyond Lisha’s knowing.
Outside, beyond Rebeck, at night.
I showed up at the campsite where the women were stationed, and met secretly with Mira.
“Got the culprit. There—over there.”
Mira pointed to a cage set apart.
From a distance, you couldn’t make much out. Just one man inside, that was all.
“Evidence?”
“Caught red-handed. Trying to set fire to the palace grounds.”
“Confession?”
“Nonsensical, but the message came through loud and clear—‘I did it for you.’”
Right.
I looked toward the cage.
He noticed me too, rattling the bars with a clatter-clatter.
Ignored him. —Enough.
“Sorry, but can I leave the rest to you?”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. That’s fine.”
“Got it. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Sorry. I’ll keep my promise to you all this time.”
“Looking forward to it.”
Mira smiled sweetly.
A good woman.
I started to walk away. No need to stay here anymore.
"Right, take this."
Mia handed over a single card.
Normal—DORECA.
"Keep it."
Seems my answer was expected.
"Shouldn’t you be the one holding onto this?"
"Yeah, you’re right."
I took the DORECA.
It glowed—but nothing changed.
"Menu open."
--------------------------
Category: Normal Card
Mana Value: 0
Item Creation Count: 0
Slave Count: 0
--------------------------
A brand-new, blank DORECA.
What use it’ll be, I still don’t know.
I slipped it into my pocket.
"Then, I’ll leave the rest to you."
"Leave it to me."
With that, I turned and walked away.
Ignoring the shouting man behind me until the last moment.
Now, only I hold the DORECA—(Master).