Slave Sale

The palace of Rebec.

A magic circle rested on the desk.

A piece still waiting for completion, pulled from DORECA.

"Something wrong, big brother? You're spacing out."

"Rirya. No, look at this."

"A magic circle? Wait... this circle feels off."

Rirya tilted her head.

"Noticed it, huh?"

"I did. We've built countless things together, but this... no arrows pointing to materials? Never seen one like this."

She was right.

This magic circle was unlike any they'd made before.

No glowing arrows indicating required materials—just plain, existing as a circle.

"No materials needed?"

"No, I already put them in. All of them, every last bit."

"Then it should be finished, right?"

"Yeah."

I stared at the circle.

"Brother… are you waiting for something?"

"What, you can tell that too?"

"I’m your slave. I watch you all the time. It’s only natural I’d know something like this."

Rirya said it without a hint of boastfulness—just matter-of-fact, like stating the sun rises in the east.

There was pride in her words, not of arrogance, but of quiet certainty.

That’s love for you.

"This side’s done, but we’re waiting for the other one."

"The other one?"

"This circle and the one over there—both have to be finished at the same time."

"Did something like that even exist?"

"It was made yesterday."

"Is that so…"

Rirya stared at the circle, eyes wide with fascination.

No surprise—until now, magic circles had always been self-contained. Usually, you’d build something like a warship, finish it, then modify or assemble it later.

Linking a magic circle to another one like this—first time ever. No surprise she’s fascinated.

“Is this hard to make?”

“Nah? Magic consumption’s a thousand. About twenty stone-based materials total.”

“Cheaper than a wooden house?”

“Guess so.”

“Huh… is that so.”

Rirya stares again, intently. Then—

“Onii-chan… the magic circle’s glowing.”

“About time.”

The circle flares—then snaps back, dimming fast.

“It’s done… what is this—ah!”

Rirya jumps back, startled. The thing she’d poked with her fingertip had just rung.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding. A bell sounds through the office.

I pick up the receiver (…), press it to my ear.

“Master?”

Risha’s quiet voice, hesitant.

“Uh, hello? Risha?”

“Yes! Risha here. Um… is it… possible…?”

"More like a greeting you use when picking up the phone."

Yeah, that's what the phone ended up being.

A handy little tool for trading voices across distant places.

"Anyway, Risha, your voice sounds weirdly far away. You're supposed to press the two loops to your ears and mouth."

『C... c... c...?』

"Getting worse. Probably got the ears and mouth switched around."

『Is this better?』

"Ah, I can hear you fine now."

『Good.』

Risha let out a sigh.

"Good work. Hang up now—put the receiver back, and I'll test it from my end too."

『Understood.』

A click. I set the receiver down too.

"Brother... what was that just now...?"

"Risha. I'm in Akito's town right now. This phone only works when both magic circles—here and there—are complete. It appeared right after Risha's card evolved. By the way, my card and Risha's card both say 'phone (Rebeck)' and 'phone (Akito)' on them. That's why I can't make it here in Akito, and they can't make it in Rebeck."

"Evolved without me even noticing..."

"Guess so."

"Kinda jealous, though."

"Huh? What about?"

"The girl who got to do their first joint project with onii-chan. That's what I'm jealous of."

...So that's how it is.

Funny as hell that Rirya, who's already made children, still feels this way.

☆

Late afternoon, in Akito's town.

Curious if anything changed in the town after the phone was finished, I snuck in disguised with magic.

I was walking toward Madway’s place—town mayor, after all—when I noticed the whole town was buzzing with excitement.

“Welcome, welcome! Half-price only today!”

“All snacks free! Drinks on the house, all half off!”

“Anyone whose name shares a character with Lady Risha gets a full free meal and drink! One matching character? Ninety percent off!”

The whole town felt like a festival. Everywhere you looked, there were sales like it was some team’s championship day.

Wait—Risha?

I edged closer to a vendor shouting Risha’s name, and spoke up.

“Hey.”

“O-oh, welcome!”

“You just said Risha—what’s that about?”

“Call her ‘Lady’—you scum!”

“O-oh. Risha… Lady? What’s up with that?”

Calling my own slave ‘Lady’ was a little refreshing.

“What? You don’t know? The color of Lady Risha’s card changed.”

"Idiot, it's not just that."

Another street vendor—free snacks—cut in on the conversation nearby.

"With that card, Risha-sama crafted a brand-new thing—a super item called a 'Denwa.'"

"The important thing is..."

The auntie (half-price sale) joined in the conversation too.

"The card of Lady Risha. It's not just the color—what matters is that among all the slaves, only she managed to take on that shade."

"Yeah, that’s it!"

"Impossible!"

Everyone agreed with the aunt’s opinion.

And everyone returned to hawking.

But... this is incredible.

I’d heard Risha—no, her master—was popular, but this riot was worse than I’d been told.

She’d been thrilled, as if it were her own life.