Slave Funnel

"Shasri, take that to the back of the village—where the old lady is."

"Yesss!"

The child slave Shasri hoisted the wooden house with a flick, carrying it just as instructed toward the village's back end.

"……"

Anna, the young woman who'd been attacked by Midrofan and now stood beside me, had her mouth hanging open.

"A kid that small... unbelievable. And the others, too."

Anna looked around.

Besides Shasri, five other child slaves were moving about.

Using slave cards, they'd built a fence around the village perimeter. When it shifted slightly, Vera lifted it and adjusted its position.

The fence was vastly larger than the children's bodies. By normal reckoning, it weighed at least three times as much.

So effortlessly lifting something that big? Yeah, it was still impressive.

"Are those the king's children?"

"My slaves."

"O-oh. Right."

I answered clearly. Anna looked slightly startled.

But there was no mistake about it. No compromise.

"Master, don’t be so reckless!"

A child’s voice cried out.

I turned—Mira’s daughter, Iriena, had tripped, and the fence was flying through the air in an arc.

Right where it was heading… Anna was standing.

"Yeeek!"

Anna screamed.

I stepped in front of her and caught the fence.

The fence, made with DORECA’s power, was weightless even when idle.

So catching it was effortless.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes…"

Anna’s cheeks flushed.

"Iriena, don’t fall again."

"Yesss."

I tossed the fence up with a flick of my wrist, back toward the girl.

Iriena caught it mid-air, light as a feather, the arc returning smoothly. Another astonishing sight.

"..."

Anna wasn’t looking at that.

Staring at me with her face crimson all the way to her hairline.

I get it, kind of. But not the time for that.

"Should probably build a shared kitchen and bathhouse too. That means lava beasts—Anna, any spots around here where those things show up?"

"……"

"Anna?"

I say it louder.

"–W-What is it?"

"I asked if there’s a place around here where lava monsters appear. They’re like molten beasts."

"Um... sorry, I’ve never seen one."

"Right. So magic, or mana production then…?"

I weigh the options: tenfold mana cost versus using encounter and luck boosts to hunt down a lava beast. Which is cheaper?

And so, the village gets rebuilt.

Clothing, food, shelter.

Just the basics—but still, making it something almost dignified for this cold, barren place.

"Your Majesty… this."

Anna came over, shyly holding a loaf of bread.

Flat, unrisen bread.

"Made it just now... if you'd like, please take it."

"Thank you."

She takes it, eats.

Tastes passable.

Anna watches her closely, silent, as she eats.

A bit awkward. Better clarify this.

Just as she thought that—

"What the hell is this?!"

A loud voice boomed from the village entrance.

She looks. There, a man in a familiar outfit.

She doesn’t know the man, but the outfit—same as the Midrofan remnants.

Four of them. Walking in like they own the place.

"Hey you! Where’s the boss?"

The man shouts at an old villager woman.

Trembling, her legs giving way, she shakes.

"Didn’t I ask where he went?!"

He raises his hand—like he’s going to hit her.

"Stop it!"

A high, thin voice cuts through.

From the opposite side of the men, a group of five child slaves appeared, centered around Irina.

The five pushed between the man and the old woman.

“Don’t hurt Grandma!”

“Hurting’s gross!”

“D-don’t go there…”

The child slaves spoke in turn, all at once.

You’d think they’d get furious—except they didn’t.

The men smirked, crude and low.

“Hey now, these kids are Eternal Slaves. Five of them. Lucky us today.”

“Unmarked kid slaves sell high, you know.”

“No boss around, so let’s split the cash when we sell ‘em.”

“Let’s buy a woman. I’ve been holding out, you know.”

…So that’s how it is.

Makes sense. Basically, they’re just like puppies.

Newborn purebreds fetch a high price. That’s the deal.

…Go ahead and say whatever you want.

“Grab them. One each, for now.”

The man said that, and suddenly started moving.

Reaching out, his hand touched the child slave’s body—just before.

I touched the True Eternal Slave.

The child slave’s colorless collar flared with light, turned into light, and was sucked into the slave sword.

“W-what the hell…?”

“H-hey, that one!”

“The Slave King…?”

“Why’s he here!?!”

The men were stunned, bewildered.

One of them was so shaken he nearly collapsed.

Slightly pitiful, really. But no sympathy.

“Shasuri, Iriina, Vera.”

Risha, Mira, and Yuria’s daughters appeared, semi-transparent.

“Arisa, Bella, Olga.”

Rirya, Arisa, and Sveta’s daughters appeared too, semi-transparent.

Six of them floated in the air like sprites or spirits, translucent and weightless.

“Don’t hold back. Go.”

I ordered, and they shot forward.

The remnants of the Midrofan were dealt with without mercy.

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