Black Max
Risha enters the hut, cradling a baby.
Her gaze upward is thick with maternal warmth.
At the same time, it looks like she’s begging for something.
"Master."
"Is this the child?"
"Yes."
"Show me its face."
Still holding the baby tightly, Risha lifts it up so it’s clearly visible to me.
It looks just like her mother. Eyes, nose, mouth—each feature seems like a tiny, glued-on version of Risha herself.
Not a single thing about it resembles me.
Only daughters… and since Eternal Slaves only ever produce Eternal Slaves, it makes sense, really.
"Adorable. Looks just like its mother."
"Thank you. Well, about that…"
She looks fairly pleased by the compliment, but her eyes are clearly fixed on something else.
She knows what she wants. No need to pull strings.
"Risha, hold the child tight."
“Yes… ah”
Risha gasps, her face crumpling open in an instant.
She beams at the small collar I pull out.
“This is a custom item.”
“A custom item?”
“Made by DORECA. Only one exists. Vanished from the list right after creation. Means it’s made just for this child.”
“Custom… good for her.”
Risha smiles tenderly at her baby.
The infant still cries—wailing, gurgling, the way babies do.
“Here we go.”
“Yes.”
I bring the collar near.
The baby stops crying.
Her round eyes lock onto the collar in my hand.
Weird… already knows everything, even though she’s just been born.
I fasten it on.
Thin. Still too young to sit. Just a tiny neck.
Right after, she bursts into laughter.
Cackling. A grin so infectious it nearly makes me laugh too.
— Charged magic: 10.
“Good thing, huh? Born right into slavery.”
— Charged magic: 1,000,000.
Mother and daughter, both slaves.
Honestly, I was a little skeptical.
I kept wondering—was she really asking for this? Or was she just saying it to sound proper?
That doubt’s gone now.
A newborn baby doesn’t lie.
DORECA doesn’t lie.
Eternal slave.
A race genetically programmed to desire slavery—and find happiness in it.
“Ah, Master…”
“What?”
“Um… would you mind… could you please give this child a name?”
“A name? That’s easy.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. Shasuri.”
“Shasuri… so beautiful…”
Risha poked her daughter—Shasuri’s cheek.
“Good thing, getting even her name from you, Master.”
Shasuri cackled in reply.
“Still, quick, weren’t we—growing up.”
“Yes. We grow fast. Within a few days of birth, we’re already three to five years old in human terms. Then we stay child-sized for a bit longer, but once the second growth phase hits, we’re back to this size in just a few days.”
“Is that so.”
A creature… a species, then.
“Then you too, Shasuri?”
“Yes! I’ll be able to help within a week.”
“Ah. That’s something to look forward to.”
“Please give this child something to do too.”
“Even children should have tasks to think about.”
——Magic power charged: 100,000.
Risha beamed. Shasuri cackled again.
Watching her, a sudden sound came from behind.
I turned. The slaves were staring at me.
Mira, Yuria, Rirya, Arisa, Svetlana.
All my eternal slaves were staring at me with greedy eyes.
No need to ask what they wanted.
I walked toward the back of the room and pulled out DORECA.
While the slaves blinked in confusion, I used magic to emergency-produce a bed.
A massive bed—big enough for all of them, and still room to spare.
“Come.”
The moment I said it—
DORECA’s black card hit maximum magic capacity and froze solid.