Autumn One-Character

The palace's reception chamber.

Marta sits across from me, and we gaze out the window together.

A warship under construction is faintly visible in the distance. Its sheer size makes it discernible even from here.

"What happens when that thing’s finished?"

"Ah, well, one way to put it—mobile fortress."

"A mobile fortress?"

"Yeah. Mobile. And it’s got a power source for that. It’s carrying an upgraded version of the Neetka—higher-tier model. I tested it once. Shot it clear from one end of Rebeck to the other."

"Whoa, that’s insane."

"Thanks. That’s what you guys brought back from your hunts."

"Yeah, that black trawl. That was pretty rare. Even with the magic array, it took forever to find."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Well, it’s give and take. Besides, you get sweets from me regularly."

Marta says it all casually.

She’s right—regularly sending sweets to the Kazan clan.

More accurately, I supply food cubes for the food printer on a regular basis.

A magical item that turns any cube into whatever you want to eat, just slide it in and press the switch.

That’s how I’ve made a contract with them and gotten them to work for me.

“So, what’s the deal today?”

“Huh?”

“You showing up in person? Unusual. If it were anything important, Valeria would’ve come instead.”

Valeria’s the woman close to the Kazan clan’s leader, Marta.

Like how Yuria is close to me.

“Yeah… I’ve got a small favor to ask. Figured it’d be better if the clan leader herself came.”

“What is it? Spit it out.”

“There’s a big river near the Kazan clan. Recently, there was heavy rain upstream, and it flooded.”

“Flooded? Is that okay?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine—Kazan’s only half-ruined, that’s all.”

“Eeeeeh?”

“Ah, that’s just how it usually goes. No big deal.”

Martha’s calm about it, considering the topic.

“That river, it gets wild when something happens. We’re used to it by now.”

“Is that just how things are?”

“Yeah, they held the Kazan tradition—flood battle.”

“Huh?”

What in the world?

“The water level rises, right? So you jump in the river, start attacking, and see how far you can push back the current. Like a little fight festival?”

“I don’t get it at all.”

“Ah, calling it a fight festival was probably a bad way to put it… Maybe ‘training’ would make more sense?”

“No, that’s not the issue.”

Kinda get it, though.

A scene flickered in my head—some master, training in the storm-lashed winter sea, wild waves crashing all around.

“That’s right—I’ve got a tradition. The winner of each competition gets one wish granted by the clan leader. A reward, or a kind of honor. That’s what keeps the clan members pushing so hard.”

“Ah, I see.”

It was starting to click.

Still thought, *What the hell are you all doing?* But slowly, I was getting it.

“So, here’s the real point. The winner this time? She says she wants to go on a date with you.”

“……Huh?”

“A date.”

I was just starting to understand—then it all went fuzzy again.

☆

The bustling town square of Rebeck.

That hill from before is gone now, but it’s the same square used in my coronation ceremony.

“Ah, th-there you are!”

A girl approached me, waiting at the meeting spot.

She wore glasses, long pigtails, and a long skirt.

She was flustered, fumbling over her words, desperately trying to speak to me.

“W-w-well, I-I—”

“Larisa, right?”

“Haha, yes! I’m Larisa!”

“I’ve heard about you from Merta.”

“S-s-sorry for making you wait. The town’s just… so big.”

“No worries, don’t sweat it. Anyway, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Walking side by side with Larisa, we started off.

I glanced sideways at her.

Merta said she was a top-tier player in the Flood Battle, but she didn’t look strong at all.

More like a literature girl, really.

I’d written her off as unimportant, but now I was curious—what even was this Flood Battle thing?

“Um! Thank you so much today! I’ve always looked up to you, Akito. Walking beside you like this… it feels like a dream!”

“Is that so.”

“Um…?”

“Hm?”

“Is that… really the True Eternal Slave?”

Her eyes locked onto my waist.

The slave sword adorned with gems—the True Eternal Slave.

Ah, it's real.

Ah, I knew it…

Larisa lost herself in a daze.

Something like a fan staring at an idol’s personal belongings at an exhibition—only with a little more awe, a little more envy, and a lot more sighing.

"Is this what’s bothering you?"

Yeah! Back then I used a different weapon, but ever since I saw Lord Akito’s Eternal Slave, I’ve switched to the same longsword.

"Hey, what’d you use before that?"

It's an iron ball.

"Huh?"

"Just a spiked iron ball, with a chain attached. You swing it around to fight."

Larias spread her arms wide.

"Isn't that heavy?"

"Yeah! But if you spin it around to build up momentum, it works just fine."

I don’t think it’d work under normal circumstances.

Seriously, spinning it with centrifugal force? That’s brutal.

Something like that swinging around—couldn’t picture it coming from her slender arms.

But she didn’t seem to be lying.

Looks like even though she seems like a bookish little thing, the Kazan folk are still fighters, huh.

"So that means the weapon we're using right now is a sword? You didn’t bring one today?"

"Ah, then here it is!"

Larisa lifted her skirt.

The longsword was strapped beneath her skirt, wrapped tight around her thigh.

White thigh—kinda dazzling.

"—eep!"

Larisa yelped, flustered, and quickly lowered her skirt.

I cleared my throat and changed the subject.

"Anyway, got somewhere you wanna go? Just walking around’s boring."

"Y-yes, I leave it to you, Akito-san."

"Really? You won’t get any reward for that."

"No!"

She insisted with a clenched fist.

"I’m happy just walking with Akito-san."

"Is that so?"

She seems serious. But that doesn’t mean I can just lean on it and do nothing—just walk. That’d be bad for a man’s pride.

Not a slave, but I still want to see that smile.

I was thinking about what kind of thing might work, when I passed by the izakaya called "Nurei."

I ran straight into Inessa just as she stepped out.

Inessa alternated glancing between me and Larysa.

"Oh? Are you on a date, Your Majesty?"

"Something like that. How's the shop doing?"

"Thanks to Your Majesty, it's going great. Everyone knows that sign was written personally by you—since then, customers have been pouring in. Now it's like—"

Inessa pointed to a table.

"—reservations are booked solid all the way to six months ahead, just for the spot where the sign's easiest to see."

"What in the world?"

Sounds ridiculous. Over the top.

"I can't thank Your Majesty enough. Thanks, Your Majesty—come back and drink with us if you get the chance."

"Sure thing. I'll be a nuisance again sometime."

After parting ways with Inessa, I kept walking.

Larisa quietly asks beside me.

"That Akito guy... the sign you just saw—someone said the lady said the king wrote that."

"Yeah. Just kind of happened that way."

I look at Larisa with a face that says, *So what?*

"...I wish I had one too."

"What? You want a sign too?"

"N-no, not really. I mean, if it's Akito's, I'd take a sign, but that's not what I really want—"

With a natural motion, she lifts her skirt and draws the sword tucked there.

Now her underwear's completely exposed, but Larisa's face stays dead serious.

"I want your signature on this."

"Huh."

A signature. Now she's definitely a fan idolizing me.

I pinch my chin as I walk, thinking.

I didn’t know what to do on a sudden date, but then it hit me.

"Alright, let’s fight now."

"Eh?"

☆

Outside Rebeck, I face off against Larisa.

We face each other, both holding our weapons ready.

Larisa with her slender longsword, me with the True Eternal Slave, naturally.

“Come on, attack.”

“Yes!”

Nodding, Larisa doesn’t hesitate—she lunges in with a slash.

“Mmph!”

In an instant, she closes the distance, delivering a sharp upward cut from below.

The air screams as it splits.

I block it. Sparks fly between our blades.

Unbelievable power from her slender arms.

My hand tingles, just slightly.

“Yaaaah!”

Having gained the first strike, Larisa spins faster—onslaught after onslaught, relentless.

I parry each blow—then suddenly, she vanishes from sight.

“Side—no, behind!”

I twist around, deflecting the slash that’s already upon me.

The rotation builds—blinding, like a storm of slashes.

Heavy. Fast. Strong.

The blow I dodged slammed into the ground, carving out a crater five meters wide.

—Not bad for a warrior race, I thought.

“Akito’s sign, Akito’s sign, Akito’s sign—”

muttering that over and over, it was kind of creepy to hear.

But also… kind of nice.

No holding back. Not even a little. Full force. That’s how much she’s been dreaming of me.

It felt good.

“Absolutely—gotta get it.”

I thought, that’s a fight I have to answer with everything I’ve got.

☆

Lirysa, sprawled on her back, has the tip of the True Eternal Slave pressed to her throat.

“End of the line.”

“—Huh… yes.”

She bites her lower lip hard, forces the word out, then nods.

Brave, even in defeat— but then—

“…Ueeeeeennn!”

In an instant, Lirysa bursts into tears.

Screaming. Wailing. Sobbing like a child.

“Hey, hey—don’t cry, now.”

Even so, this reaction was completely unexpected.

"Rarara, Rarara, Akihohan..."

"Ah, don't cry. I hate it when someone cries in front of me."

Larisa isn’t a slave—still, she is.

Better to be laughed at than cried over.

Ghss...

Larisaa stopped crying because I told her to, but she was clearly holding back, her face tight with effort.

She wasn’t sad—just choked back tears, forced them down.

That face— I hate it.

Wait a sec.

She said that and pulled out DORECA.

She picked the iron sword from the menu, crafting it with tenfold the usual magical expenditure.

And with the tip of the blade poised at the hilt, she etched letters into the grip.

The design was worn away by magic until it was just right.

She held it out to Larias.

There, do this.

“Huh?”

"Signed."

But… I couldn’t beat Akito.

Ah, that’s why it’s only half.

"Half?"

“You won’t be able to read it, but this ‘autumn’ here is ‘Aki.’ There should be another character beneath it, normally.”

Canceling ‘Disassembly,’ she traces the character ‘person’ below ‘autumn’ with her finger.

“Half…”

“Do this. Come challenge me again with this. Beat me, and I’ll write the ‘person’ character too.”

Larias took the sword, cradling it carefully in her arms.

“Thank you! I’ll treasure it for life!”